You, Who Will Never be Bound
by EverlastingxSong
Summary: "Do not... lay your filthy hands on MY prey. I'll bite you to death." And in her mind, it translated as close to "I'll protect her" as she believed he could ever get. HibarixOC
1. Hello, Hello, Hello Again

**Disclaimer :** I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does.

**A / N :**

YOOOO. (:

Well, this is going to my very first fanfiction on Katekyo Hitman Reborn! It's going to be a HibarixOC one. Don't ask my why-it just is. HAHA. Mm, I'm not sure if I grasped all their characters correctly or well enough. Holy, I almost died while wondering if I got them all right. I was beating myself up about whether they were saying the right kind of things and stuff. Ah, gosh. I guess that it's for you guys to decide, though, so... =P

I hope that y'all like it! ;D

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><p><strong>CHAPTER ONE;<strong>

_"Hello, Hello, Hello Again"_

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><p>"So it was you after all, Azumi?"<p>

A light breeze danced by, increasing the soft coolness of the morning that seeped deep through my clothes and into my very being. My entire body felt like it was frozen since I had been outside for so long, but somehow, as my eyes scanned over the familiar buildings of the place where so many beautiful memories had been created, I felt warm.

I tore my eyes away from the sun that was just beginning to rise, sending splashes of pale, yet slowly growing more vibrant, colours. I smiled at the Arcobaleno, forcing myself to lift a hand up to represent a wave. "Reborn! It's been a while. You look like you've been doing well."

"Ciaossu," he greeted like he always did. He jumped up onto my shoulder, taking a seat there. He weighed little to nothing, and it was calming to have such a reassuring figure with me. "Where did you spend the night?"

"At Dino's," I answered, my lips tugging higher at the mention of the incredibly handsome and amicable Chiavarone Boss. His hospitality was something that I definitely needed to pay him back for.

A small frown could be heard in Reborn's voice as he said, "You could've just come straight to Tsuna's house. Mama wouldn't mind at all."

My eyes were fixated on the rising star that was very slowly brightening up the drowsy sky. "Yes, that's true, but I felt like if I showed up that late, Tsuna wouldn't get any sleep due to the surprise. After all, it's been two years."

"Was it really necessary for them to send you here?" Reborn inquired, the question half rhetorical, half not. There was grimness in his voice that signified he was deep in thought, trying to plan out every possibility and the best way to come out of it all with an awaiting victory.

"Not really," I laughed, glancing at the most trusted hitman of Vongola the Ninth. I had no doubt that he would become an inerasable, irreplaceable person to Vongola the Tenth as well—in a different way than it was between Reborn and Dino. Although Reborn always had affection hidden deeply in his eyes whenever his students were mentioned, there was something more when it involved Tsuna. "You don't need to worry, Reborn. I'm honestly only here as a precaution. Besides, Squalo didn't want me back at the base for a while."

Reborn made a noncommittal, yet contemplative sound. He didn't need to ask for the reason why Squalo had yelled at me to stay away from the base the minute I had returned to it. I remembered he had said he was "so annoyed with the goddamn attitude and the stupid looks" that I had. It was a cover, because of course, Squalo could never announce his affection and concern in gentle ways. However, with Xanxus defeated by Tsuna and losing the right to succeed Vongola the Ninth due to the rejection of the Vongola Rings, there was no doubt he'd be furious. Even if it'd been two weeks already since the lost, Xanxus would probably be in a foul mood for another week.

Pushing myself up into a standing position, I let my cerulean eyes sweep over the peaceful town once more before I grasped the black handles of my brand new schoolbag and jumped off of the Sawada's rooftop, landing softly on the cement pavement right in front of their gate.

"Where are you going at such an early hour?" Reborn turned and looked at me with those unreadable, unfathomable black eyes. There was no expression on his face except for a neutral one that gave nothing away.

A nervous laugh escaped me, and I smiled at him a bit anxiously. "To be honest, I'm kind of scared to meet Tsuna's Family—not to mention... I haven't been to a school in years. Thinking about being around so many normal, unaware people..." I paused, shaking my head as I thought about it. "I'm going to go early and try to familiarize myself with Namimori Middle School."

"I thought you said you're afraid of meeting Tsuna's Family," Reborn stated. "I'm sure that you know that the Guardian of the Cloud will be there in a while."

My teeth flashed. "You caught me. I genuinely _am_ nervous, but I might as well meet the Guardian that's hardest to warm up to first, right? I'd rather get it over with, so that I won't be in such an anxious state for the rest of the day."

"You must have read his profile." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

The picture that had been paper-clipped to a brief profile on the Cloud Guardian fluttered through my mind, and I nodded with a smile. "Do you think we'll get along?"

"Who knows?" Reborn answered vaguely. He jumped off of my shoulder, landing along the width of the cement fencing that belonged to the Sawada family. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, Leon still sleeping contentedly along the brim of his large black fedora.

It was just like Reborn—knowing the answer, and yet letting the person suffer while trying to figure out the answer on their own. I had no doubt in my mind that Reborn already had his own vision of how this would all turn out, but it was so incredibly like him to keep it to himself. If this was how he taught Tsuna, I couldn't help but wonder how much Tsuna changed.

"I'll be going now," I told the infant. "I'll see you later today, Reborn."

He nodded. "Take care."

Beaming at him one last time, I began making my way towards Nami Middle, feeling the hitman's eyes burn into the back of my skull. I chose to ignore it, however, as I inhaled the crisp, fresh morning air. It was a cold that felt searing as it travelled through my body and reached my lungs.

Quietness and peacefulness blanketed the town, hardly any humans stirring. It was, after all, only five forty-five in the morning. School, as I had read in the pamphlet I had gotten from the principal yesterday after making my transfer official, started at eight fifteen in the mornings, which left me with over two hours of spare time. I could easily still be sleeping in a guest room provided chivalrously by the Chiavarone Famiglia, but I couldn't sleep. The jitteriness that I had felt ever since getting on the plane from Italy wouldn't leave my system.

Birds chirped softly in the sky overhead, trying to get a head start on the day. I was grasping the two thick handles of my schoolbag in front of me with both hands, the bag relatively light due to the lack of textbooks in it.

When I got to Namimori Middle, I noticed how the large, iron black gate was locked shut, unable to open. It didn't necessarily surprise me, as I was pretty confident no staff member in their right minds would arrive to work two hours earlier than the designated time. The school was fairly large, somehow seemingly emitting an aura of tenderness and meaning. Along the wide, vertical path created from the gates towards the front steps of the school were large cherry blossom trees that lined both sides beautifully.

With ease, I half-climbed, half-jumped over the gate, breaking onto the school grounds without authorized permission. I wasn't sure if the staff could actually get angry, though—after all, was it appropriate to punish a student that just happened to be extremely early?

I didn't doubt that the doors leading to the school were locked, so instead of making my way towards the main entrance, I slanted my path towards a certain cluster of cherry blossom trees. The blooming delicate rosette flowers provided a glorious shade from the heat of the sun that would surely be beating down later on in the day. The mornings were still quite chilly, but it was already late spring. About two months had passed since the start of school in April, and I wondered how often they got students transferring at such unusual times.

I sat down on the cool wooden bench beneath the bundle of elegant trees, placing my book bag next to me. As I tilted my head back to stare up at the soft, pink pastel petals, I didn't realize how much I missed seeing them until now.

My thoughts wandered and flew around from one thing to another. At first, they had centered around Tsuna—how was he? Would he be happy to see me? Would he be angry? And then somehow my train of thought had wandered away from the brunette and onto the base back home in Italy—was Squalo doing alright? Was Xanxus still sulking and loathing everything around him silently, abusing the other members mercilessly?

Unable to help it, a smile tugged at my face at the thought of the base. I wasn't sure how everyone would hold up—after all, with _both_ Squalo and Xanxus in horrible moods, I wondered how many of the members had gotten hit. It was a horrible thing to injure your teammates and your Family, but I had gotten so used to it. And after being with them for so long, I knew that no matter how many times they hurt one another and yelled harsh things at each other, they had an unbreakable bond with one another beneath it all. After all, we were all a Family.

Though, I mused thoughtfully, I probably didn't need to worry too much about it anyways. Even if I was gone, Suzu would be taking care of things just fine. With a temper that rivalled Squalo's, there was no way she would back down. Without a doubt, she would be making just as big of a mess as the second-in-command of the squad, despite trying to help. I wondered if Kazuki was there as well; he would definitely know how to handle everything.

_Kazuki._

The thought of him made me sigh and clench my hands into fists. It had been so long since I had last seen him—a month? Four? All that I knew was that it had been _too_ long. It didn't feel right with him gone at the base. Many people thought it was strange that we all got along so well, since most siblings fought with one another frequently. With Kazuki, Suzu, and I, though, we were inseparable. The differences in our ages didn't change the fact the three of us were unbelievably close.

I didn't even notice how long I had been absorbed in my own little world until the sound of approaching footsteps snapped me out of my reverie. A soft wind sauntered by, playing with my loosened strands of long hair as I blinked and turned towards who was coming.

The wind tentatively teased his straight locks of onyx, the tips of his bangs obscuring his blue-grey eyes for a brief second or two. When the wind stopped dancing with his hair, I noticed how his bangs were longest in the middle, the sections above his eyes shorter as to not block his vision. His skin was the shade of precious ivory, his lips pulled down into a frown. His eyes were slanted almonds, the scowl in them evident.

There was no doubt that he was very attractive, but from what I knew about him, his personality would be more than enough to scare away many girls. The intimidating aura that surrounded him on a fifty meter radius made sure that nobody got too close to him without cowering.

A smile tugged at my lips as I analyzed him—so this was him.

He stopped when he was a meter away, the scowl still shining in his expression. "Students who break onto school grounds without authorized permission with receive punishment." There was no greeting, no hesitation, no sympathy as his collapsible tonfas fell into his waiting hands. He ran towards me with intent to sincerely hurt me, swinging his right tonfa where my head would've been if I hadn't tilted it to the side to avoid the hit.

"Hi," I told him with a smile, ignoring the way his eyes glowered fiercely at me. "I'm a new student here at Namimori Middle. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Hibari Kyoya."

His eyes hardened as his name left my lips, and he swung his left tonfa at my head again, his right one simultaneously aiming for my abdomen. I slipped off of the bench, taking a step back to provide a bit more space between us. After all, I had no doubt physical contact with people—unless it was a beating—disgusted him.

"I'm Shimizu Azumi," I introduced, ducking under his arm as he attempted to swing at me again. He switched the way he held his tonfa immediately and brought his arm backward. I took a few steps back to avoid the hit, and he whirled around immediately. Beaming at him, I asked, "Will you help me find my way to my class?"

"Not before I bite you to death," he answered coolly, calmly, before coming at me again. I bit down on my lower lip, my eyebrows furrowing slightly as his movements before faster, sharper. I narrowly missed a blow aimed at my stomach before jumping to evade the leg he had swiped towards me, planning to knock me off my feet.

I had thought something was definitely strange when he had tried to hit me the first time. After all, there was no way that his battle etiquette was of such low calibre. With the title of Cloud Guardian, if he had been so weak, I would've questioned how he managed to survive the battles so far. But now, as I continued dodging his numerous attacks, I knew that he had been holding back.

Ducking and then sidestepping, I noticed how he was forcing me back. Staring into his dark eyes, it was clear that he wasn't even close to using his true potential. A smile made its way onto my face, and I beamed at him even when I felt my back press up against the trunk of a cherry blossom tree, his steel tonfa slamming into the trunk right next to my temple. The tree itself shook, delicate petals peeling off of the flowers and fluttering down softly.

As a petal landed on his shoulder, he slowly, but surely, retreated his tonfas. He took a step back, his expression still full of contempt. It was clear that he no longer wanted to engage in a battle—I supposed that his willpower was lost as he remembered the time he got defeated by Mukuro.

He regarded me with glacial eyes, and I met his gaze squarely with my own. My teeth flashed, and I let out a laugh. "I can definitely see why Dino had so many wounds. Is your right shoulder feeling alright?"

"What are you saying?" he asked, his voice smooth.

"Your right shoulder," I repeated, blinking at him. "You never made any big movements with your right tonfa. Even though you're right-handed, your swings from your right side were slower instead of faster than your left. Is your shoulder okay?"

There was a beat of silence, and then, "It's none of your concern."

"Maybe not," I agreed, "but..." I moved towards my schoolbag, unzipping it and rummaging through it until I found what I was looking for. Beaming, I turned around and faced him, holding the thin cylindrical container in between my thumb and middle finger. "The best of the best made these. They work extremely well." I stretched my arm out towards him, silently offering.

"Completely unnecessary," he responded, already turning away. "You'll receive your punishment for breaking into school grounds later." I watched his back as he walked towards the main entrance of the school, his footsteps unfaltering and his posture straight and dignified.

The hand that held the cylinder of pills fell back to my sides, and I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, my eyes bright. To say the least, I was absolutely intrigued and amused. I wasn't expecting anything different, since I had read his profile before coming, and yet—I couldn't imagine how drastically diverse he was.

Hibari Kyoya.

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><p>"Come in!"<p>

Hearing those words from the teacher inside, I inhaled once more, the wings of myriads of butterflies tickling my stomach, before I slid open the classroom door. My heart beat loudly and rapidly as I stepped inside the room, feeling numerous eyes burning into me. I didn't look at anyone as I halted next to the teacher, who stood in the middle at the front of the room behind a podium.

Pivoting slightly on my heels to face the curious gaze of students, I bowed. "My name's Shimizu Azumi. I'm pleased to meet everyone, and I hope we get along well." I smiled nervously at the people in the room, my eyes scanning through the faces before picking out ones that I had already seen before making my way to Namimori.

With furrowed eyebrows over narrowed, beautiful pale jade orbs, Gokudera Hayato sat with his hands behind his head and his feet up on his desk. His uniform was messily put on, the strands of silver hair long and straight, barely making it an inch past his chin. His bangs were parted in the middle and blended in with the rest of his hair, an odd strand or two falling out and into his face, though he didn't seem to care. His lips were pulled down into a grimace, his blessed features somehow soft, yet sharp.

Next, my eyes sought out someone who was taller than the rest, despite sitting down. With short, spiky obsidian hair, Yamamoto Takeshi was looking at me with a friendly, warm smile etched onto his handsome face. His skin was slightly tanned, most likely from all the time he spent outside playing baseball, and his eyes were large, round orbs of light coffee. Although his bangs weren't short, they weren't long enough to get remotely close to obscuring his eyes, and they swayed slightly to one side.

The clattering of a chair and a surprised, stuttering voice had heads turning to the person who had caused the noise. "... A-Azumi?"

My heart thudded a bit harder as my dark eyes met his orbs of warm, gentle chocolate. His hair was still a large, spiky mess of chestnut, his skin still as fair as I remembered it being. His bangs threatened to fall into those immensely wide and innocent eyes that hadn't even changed the slightest despite the years and the hardships. His mouth was open wide, disbelief etched onto his face as he stared at me.

A laugh left my lips, and I grinned brightly at him. My eyes were soft as I regarded my childhood friend. Without even being aware of it, my feet carried me hurriedly towards him. Just as I rammed into him with my arms automatically wrapping around his neck, I exclaimed, "Tsuna!"

He stumbled back at my unexpected move. I could feel his gaze on the side of my face, both confused and surprised. I wondered briefly if his face was tinged with a delicate pink due to the display of affection in front of his classmates.

After a moment, though, his arms encircled me, and I smiled into his shoulder. "You're back," he stated, stunned.

"I really missed you," I told him honestly, hugging him tighter for another moment before I loosened my hold on him. He followed my lead, allowing me to take a step back. My hands were gripping both of his shoulders gently and his hands rested faintly on my waist. I let out a laugh as I saw the blush that stained his face, a look of embarrassment crossing his soft features.

At my words, however, he let out a vibrant smile that shone in his eyes as well, mirroring the look on my face. "Me, too."

"Even though it's been so long, you're still exactly as I remember," I informed him. My heart was still beating faster than normal, but it was due to the excitement of seeing him again. I couldn't help but feel ecstatic he hadn't forgotten me or that he wasn't angry.

"You're exactly how I remember, too," he said, the smile still curling at his lips. "Ah—welcome back."

If possible, I beamed at him brighter. He had never failed to welcome me back whenever I visited—somehow, it never really felt like I was allowed back here if he didn't say it. "I'm back, Tsuna."

"Sawada, Shimizu!" the teacher barked out, startling both of us. I looked over my shoulder at the scowling man, and he narrowed his eyes. "You two can have your lovely reunion later. I have a class to teach, if you don't mind. Shimizu, take a seat in front of Yamamoto."

I felt myself flush slightly, but the smile wouldn't leave my lips as I apologized, "Sorry, sensei." My eyes flickered to meet Tsuna's, and he was obviously self-conscious. I squeezed his shoulders reassuringly, and his eyes met mine for a brief moment before I looked away, heading towards the empty seat in front of the talented baseball player.

As I sat down, a cheerful and carefree voice said warmly, "Welcome to Namimori Middle. I'm Yamamoto Takeshi—let's get along well, okay?"

Twisting around, I met his brilliant smile, the openness in his eyes something that drew people in. I couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, smiling at him. "Thank you. I'm Shimizu Azumi—it's a nice to finally meet you, Yamamoto. I hope you'll treat me well."

"_Shimizu_," the teacher growled.

"Sorry, sorry!" I exclaimed sincerely, whirling around to face the front. My face turned a shade redder at being scolded twice. The snickers from my classmates didn't really help either, and I forced myself to pay attention to what was going on through the rest of the class.

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><p>"How dare you!" A hand slammed down on my desk, and startled, I looked up at angry narrowed orbs. "Embarrassing the Tenth like that in front of everyone! You even got him in trouble. Who do you think you are?"<p>

"G-Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna hurried over, pulling at the taller male's free arm. "It's okay."

"Now, now," Yamamoto let out a contagious laugh. "Tsuna's right, Gokudera. After all, it seems that they're close friends."

Staring into his jade eyes, I let myself smile. "It's nice to meet you as well, Gokudera. Reborn's told me a lot about you."

"_What_?" Gokudera asked, pulling back slightly in surprise. He blinked his eyes for a moment.

"R-Reborn?" Tsuna stammered, eyes just as wide.

Yamamoto blinked at me curiously. "You know the kid?"

Nodding, my smile was slight. "Can we all talk somewhere more private? I promise I won't take up too much of your lunch time." I couldn't possibly tell them with so many students in the classroom, eating their lunches with their friends cheerfully. I couldn't tell them all alone, without the help of Reborn.

Shaking his head, Tsuna smiled hesitantly at me. It was clear that he was wary after the name of the Sun Arcobaleno had left my tongue. "It's okay. I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch with us anyway."

My heart warmed at his words, the smile curling onto my face genuine and tender as I stared into his eyes. He would never change, would he? "Thank you, Tsuna." I glanced at Yamamoto and Gokudera, and continued, "But I can't possible intrude on your time together."

Yamamoto let out a chuckle, before his lips pulled into a small grin. "What are you saying, Azumi? It's not an intrusion if we want you there." I was taken aback when I heard my given name leave his lips easily, and was even more surprised when I heard the words that followed.

I concluded that Yamamoto and I would definitely get along very well. His light and free character was just something that was magnetic. He was so cheerful; it was like you couldn't help but smile along with him. The fact that he had called me by my first name with such ease gave me the impression that we were closer, and it warmed me to the tip of my toes.

Faintly blushing, I smiled at him. "Are you sure it's okay?"

Gokudera looked like he was in slight pain as he muttered reluctantly, "Well, if the Tenth says so..."

"Then it's decided," Yamamoto declared, rising from his seat. "Let's all have lunch together, yeah?"

"But the question is; where?" Tsuna pondered aloud. He turned to me, "You said you wanted to speak with us somewhere private, but I'm not sure of an area where people won't be."

Gokudera suggested, "How about the rooftop, Tenth?"

Tsuna's astonishment at his words wore off as soon as it came, and he smiled admiring at the silver-haired male. "I didn't even think about that, Gokudera-kun!"

"Nice going, Gokudera," Yamamoto praised, smiling.

We gathered our necessary belongings—especially our lunches—and began making our way out of the classroom. I could feel many people staring at us curiously, but neither Yamamoto nor Gokudera seemed to notice, both of them absorbed in their own little world where the shorter of the two would insult and scold the taller one, who laughed it off easily.

I couldn't detect any real venom and hatred underneath Gokudera's tone though, and absentmindedly, my lips pulled upwards as I watched their two backs.

We were just starting to climb the stairs leading towards the rooftop when a loud male voice yelled, "Sawada!"

All four of us halted in our steps and shifted our bodies to look at who it was. The sight that greeted me was a guy with extremely short silver hair, his bangs short enough to expose most of his forehead. His skin, like Yamamoto's, was lightly tanned, most likely from doing sports in hot weather. His eyes were the colour of steel, and white bandages were wrapped along both of his hands, ending just past the knuckles, before his fingers started.

"Onii-san!" Tsuna exclaimed, watching as the male stopped in front of us.

"Where are you guys going?" the male I noted as Sasagawa Ryohei, questioned. His eyes then fell and rested on me, and he blinked, his lips tilting into a slight frown before asking, "Who're you?"

Smiling, I bowed and introduced, "I'm Shimizu Azumi. I'm new to Namimori Middle, and it's nice to finally meet you, Ryohei."

"Oh, is that so?" his frown turned into a wide grin. "Welcome to Nami Middle, to the extreme!"

"Thank you," I told him brightly. "We were heading up towards the rooftop. Do you have a moment to spare?"

"Of course!" he agreed enthusiastically.

Gokudera's eyebrow twitched, and his hands were clenched into fists. "Oi, don't just go inviting whoever you damn well please."

"Well, it's fine, isn't it?" Yamamoto grinned. "Besides, the more the merrier."

"Yamamoto's right, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna intervened. "Besides," his eyes darted to meet mine, "I think that what Azumi wants to say will need everyone to be there."

Nodding, I confirmed Tsuna's thoughts. "Please."

"If that's what the Tenth says," Gokudera ground out. He whirled around stiffly and began heading up the stairs again, Yamamoto following suit, and then the last three of us mimicking their actions.

As we made our way up the stairs, Ryohei questioned, "Where did you transfer from?"

"Actually," I started, "I was homeschooled."

"Really?" Ryohei asked, surprised. "That's kind of sad. Public schools are pretty awesome—especially Nami Middle. The boxing club is the best, to the extreme!"

I chortled, "Really? Would you mind if I dropped by to watch a practice sometime, then?"

"Not at all!" Ryohei shouted excitedly, looking riled up. "We're all practicing hard to the extreme! Did you know Sawada's part of the club?"

Amused, I switched my attention to the male a step before me. "Tsuna? You're in the boxing club?"

"A-About that," he let out a nervous laugh. "I actually didn't say I'd—"

"What are you talking about, Sawada?" Ryohei shouted loudly, hands clenched into fists. He stared at Tsuna with a fierce fire burning in his eyes. "Don't be modest now! You helped us out a lot, to the extreme!"

Tsuna looked a tad bit uncomfortable as he protested weakly, "I didn't really do anything."

"Sawada!" Ryohei roared. "You need to have more self-confidence. Feel proud to be the boxing club!"

I let out a laugh at the two as we finally reached the door that led to the rooftop. Gokudera opened it up, and we all filed outside. Since it was noon, the sun had peaked out. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't burning hot either. It was a pretty warm day. The sky overhead was a baby blue that was tainted with light grey. Large clouds drifted lazily along, the sun poking out behind them.

"Oh," Yamamoto said quietly, stopping in his footsteps.

"Damn it," Gokudera growled. "What's _he_ doing here?"

"Why'd you stop so suddenly, Octopus Head?" Ryohei demanded, making his way around the two figures that had suddenly stopped a few steps onto the rooftop.

"What's wrong, Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto?" Tsuna questioned worriedly. The two of us shared a look, and then made our way to stand beside the tallest of our group. Our eyes all stared at the figure that lay leisurely on the cement pavement of the rooftop.

With his arms behind his head acting as a pillow, an obsidian-haired male had his eyes shuttered. One of his legs were pulled up slightly, so his knee was pointing up towards the sky, while the other lay straight and flat on the ground. The black jacket given to the Disciplinary Committee hung off of his shoulders, the unoccupied sleeves crumpled and at odd angles. An adorable small bird with light yellow feathers stood on his chest, his beak clamping on one of the folds of Hibari's white dress shirt and pulling lightly.

"Hibari!" he chiriped. "Hibari!"

"No, shh!" Tsuna whispered desperately, a look of fear entering his face. "Hibird, please be quiet or else Hibari-san will wake up!"

Yamamoto let out a quiet laugh. "I guess being the Disciplinary Committee Chairman is hard work."

"Tch," Gokudera scowled. "It wouldn't be as much work if he didn't enforce discipline by beating everyone up."

"Won't he catch a cold?" I asked, concerned. I began walking towards where he laid, his eyes still closed. Despite being in an unconscious state, his lips still had a downward tilt to them.

"A-Azumi!" Tsuna urgently murmured. "No, don't go there! Hibari-san is—he's—" at a loss for words, Tsuna could only make these large hand movements as if I knew what he was speaking about.

In a way, I did, but not because I could actually understand what those motions meant. It was simply because I had already encountered the male, and already had a grasp on his personality. Still, it didn't stop me from making my way towards the sleeping figure, smiling at the group of people who could only watch in disbelief and horrified anticipation.

"Hibari!" Hibird exclaimed once more before unfurling his small, delicate wings and jumping off of the tonfa-wielding male, flapping his wings as he flew up into the air.

I stopped when I reached his shoulder, and I crouched down beside him. Before my fingers could even graze his shoulder, he had whipped out a tonfa, his eyes snapping open. He had been so quick, and my guard had been down. If he hadn't stopped the steel weapon, which was only a mere hair's breath away from my neck, I had no doubt I would've been sent flying.

"Don't you know," he muttered as he began to push himself up into a sitting position, "what happens to those who disturb my naps?"

"H-Hibari-san!" Tsuna rushed over, concern and franticness etched onto his features. "Please, Hibari-san, put away your—"

His slanted gray eyes shifted to pierce into Tsuna's gentle orbs, silencing him, before moving to see the other three that had rushed over. "What are you herbivores doing, crowding in this area? I'll bite you all to death."

"You'll catch a cold if you sleep out here," I told the prefect quietly, offering an upward tilt of my lips. "What would've happened if it rained?"

He remained silent, observing me with cold eyes, before he removed the tonfa from my neck. Unfortunately, I had been relieved a little too early, as his tonfa then slammed down on my knee before swiping at my abdomen. I landed ungracefully a few feet away from his casually poised body, wincing just slightly as the pain reverberated through my body.

"A-Azumi!" Tsuna ran over, crouching beside me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I reassured him, smiling evenly even though with every pulse of my heart, the spots he had hit throbbed painfully. It was surprising how much damage he had done, even without using any strength at all. "It was a good hit."

Tsuna looked mystified. "What are you _talking_ about? You're hurt!" Whirling around to face the nonchalant male who had Hibird perched on an outstretched finger, Tsuna's disapproval could be heard in his tone. "Hibari-san! You can't just hit people like that!"

"Sawada's right to the extreme!" Ryohei shouted his agreement. "You're never supposed to hurt a lady, Hibari! That's rude!"

"It's punishment," his silky baritone voice answered carelessly. His eyes didn't look at any of us, but were instead staring into the eyes of Hibird, who seemed extremely affectionate towards the male.

"Punishment?" Yamamoto repeated, confused. He was crouching on my other side, his hand lightly touching my arm as if to reassure me it would be okay. "For what?"

Gokudera's hostility seemed to rise up a notch. "To make such a look appear on the Tenth's face, how can you call yourself a Guardian?"

"Don't associate me with that title," Hibari asserted. "If you continue to crowd around here, I'll—"

"Ciaossu, Hibari." The cement floor suddenly opened up, revealing Reborn, who was sitting on a chair sipping some coffee.

"Wow," Yamamoto laughed. "That's an amazing toy, kid."

"How did that happen?" Ryohei inquired, confused. His eyebrows pulled together. "Is that some sort of magic trick?"

Agitated and unable to comprehend the denseness of the first two males, Gokudera blew up. "You stupid muscle-heads! What will it take for it to get through to you?"

"What did you say, Octopus Head?" Ryohei demanded angrily, riled up at Gokudera's words.

"Now, now, let's all calm down," Yamamoto said, trying to pacify the two. He had left my side to stand in between the two males that had similar hair colour, a hand resting lightly on the back of his head as he looked between the two arguing men.

"R-Reborn!" Tsuna greeted. "Don't just pop out like that! Besides, how did you even manage to—" he stopped himself short, shaking his head. He let out a soft sigh, obviously having been through this conversation before.

Hibari's eyes narrowed just slightly as they landed on Reborn. "Infant."

"Before you beat up No-Good Tsuna," Reborn said, ignoring the flabbergasted look on Tsuna's face, "I think that something more important needs to take place. After all, you were surprised when you realize Azumi knew your name, despite never having met you before, aren't you?"

Gokudera broke off his argument with Ryohei to agree. "Actually, yes." He narrowed his eyes at me. "I noticed it when Turf Head met us at the stairs. When you introduced yourself, you said, 'It's nice to finally meet you, Ryohei' but he had never mentioned his name."

"Now that you mention it..." Tsuna murmured, his eyebrows knitting together slightly.

"Azumi," Reborn turned towards me. "You're still leaving your guard down too often. That was pathetic."

Nothing I said would have been a legit excuse, because he was right. It _had_ been pitiable. "Yeah," I let out a soft sigh as I stood up from the floor, helping Tsuna up as well.

"Well?" Gokudera demanded. "Stop stalling! Who the hell are you, and what do you want? How are you connected with the Tenth?"

My eyes fell on Reborn, and upon reading the expression on my face, he turned towards the dynamite user and asked in an almost reprimanding tone, "Don't you know? Azumi is part of Vongola."

"_W-What_?" Tsuna and Gokudera both burst out.

"Oh?" Yamamoto let out an amused laugh. "You play the mafia game as well? That's great! We can all have fun together, then." Looking at Yamamoto, I wondered when Reborn or Tsuna would tell him the truth and set him clean. Watching him, it made me feel a bit of pity. He was being used—used for dangerous and life-threatening reasons—and yet, he didn't even know it.

Ryohei looked slightly perplexed. "Vongola?"

"It's true," Reborn stated. He jumped up onto my shoulder, resting there easily. "The Shimizu has a long history with the Vongola. They're one of the few clans that have stuck with us since numerous generations ago. Since the moment she was born, Azumi has been part of the Vongola Famiglia. She has been taught how to live the life of a Mafioso for her whole life."

"B-But—" Tsuna started to object, but then he let himself stop short. Understanding dawned on his face as he whispered, "That's why you only ever come when Dad comes back."

"Sorry, Tsuna," I apologized quietly, sincerely. "I wanted to tell you, but—back then, you didn't have any idea of the mafia. You didn't understand what was going on—who you are, what you're capable of. If I had told you back then, would you have believed me?"

"Yes, I would have belie—"

"Don't lie to yourself, No-Good Tsuna," Reborn interrupted, his lips tugging into a slight frown. "You wouldn't have believed her at all." Tsuna looked like he wanted to protest, but when he opened his mouth, he snapped it shut just as quickly. His eyes were resigned, knowing what Reborn said was true.

"What's going on? I'm confused to the extreme!" Ryohei exclaimed, frustrated. He snapped his head between Tsuna and I, trying to follow the flow of the conversation. I had to ask Reborn about the situation about Ryohei as well afterwards. Wouldn't it be more convenient if they were actually _aware_ of what was going on?

Reborn spoke, "Besides, Azumi was under strict orders to not reveal anything to you until the time was right."

"I don't like the sound of that," Gokudera grumbled, eyeing Reborn and I warily. He wasn't scared of what we'd do, but more of what Reborn was about to say. After all, in situations like these, when words like that were spoken, something was bound to happen.

Hesitantly, I smiled at them, my eyes skimming over each and every one of their faces. "Actually, I have a reason for being here. I'm not here just because I'm visiting." When all of them turned their eyes to be expectantly, I continued, "A few days ago, Vongola Headquarters heard a rumour about an attack."

"An attack?" Tsuna echoed, his eyes widening. "But the Ninth still isn't—"

Shaking my head, I interrupted him gently. "No, it's not an attack on the Ninth, Tsuna. Actually, it's an attack here. On you. All of you. Vongola the Tenth and his Guardians." I was just slightly shocked at Tsuna's obvious concern over the current Boss. It didn't seem as if the thought that it might be _him _that was in danger had even crossed his mind.

A moment of silence settled itself between everyone, the tension instantly shooting up and increasing tenfold. I watched as their faces became more solemn—even Yamamoto's and Ryohei's. Even though those two weren't quite sure about the severity of the entire situation, they still knew that it was something they couldn't shake off easily.

"They're aiming for _us_?" Tsuna repeated, his eyes wide.

"Don't worry, Tenth!" Gokudera spoke through clenched teeth. "I won't let anyone touch you." The conviction and resolution he had in his hardened emerald orbs blazed brightly, his loyalty to Tsuna shining immensely bright. I felt like he could've blinded me if his eyes met mine, with the level of brilliance that shone in them.

"Gokudera-kun," Tsuna murmured, his eyes soft as they met the irises of the Storm Guardian.

Ryohei's tone held a frown that matched his lips. "But why? We already beat those other guys just two weeks ago. Why are we being targeted again? This is confusing to the extreme!"

Yamamoto switched his attention from Ryohei to me. "He's got a point. Why are we being targeted if we won?"

Shaking my head slightly, I notified them, "It's _because_ you won." Seeing the baffled looks crossing their features, I elaborated, "The fact you won means you have inherited the full Vongola Rings. There are many people out there who want the Ring's powers. Of course, many are aware that the Vongola Rings won't work well with anyone who isn't their rightful owner, least of all people who aren't in the Vongola Famiglia, but..."

"But?" Tsuna prompted. It was clear that he wasn't happy upon hearing the news, but the look in his eyes showed that he knew he had to understand the situation fully. After all, it was a problem that was surrounding him and his friends.

"But that doesn't mean having them in their possession won't benefit them," Reborn explained. "The Vongola Rings are an extremely important part of us. They're engraved into the Vongola Famiglia's history, and if we were to ever lose possession of them, we'd do anything to get them back. With such leverage, they could make unreasonable commands that we'd have no choice but to comply to. With a mafia organization as big and powerful as the Vongola Famiglia, being put in such a situation will cause more than just chaos."

Gokudera continued gruffly, "So they sent you to protect us."

"Almost," I told him with a smile. "I _was_ sent here, but I'm really actually here as a precaution. Since you're the official successor and Guardians of the Vongola Famiglia, everyone back at headquarters believe you can all take care of yourselves just fine. They have faith in your power—especially since you defeated Varia. In a way, I guess you can say that I'm here just to watch."

"They sent _you_?" Tsuna sounded incredulous. "Even if it's just watching, it's dangerous! What happens if you get involved? If we're battling it out and you get hurt, I don't know what I'd—"

Reborn flew from my shoulder and kicked Tsuna in the face. The brunette male toppled over back onto the floor, landing on his elbows. Reborn stood on his knee, which was pulled halfway up to his chest. "Stupid, No-Good Tsuna!"

"Reborn!" Tsuna whined, sounding slightly frustrated. "What was that for?"

"Are you okay, Tsuna?" I offered a hand to help him up, but before he could clasp it with his own, Reborn knocked my hand away with a cane that Leon had transformed into. I stared at Reborn, bewildered at his actions.

Seeing the expression on my face, Reborn scolded me. "Where is your pride, Azumi?"

"But Tsuna doesn't know—" I started, only to have him intervene again.

"Then it's about time he finds out." Reborn turned back to Tsuna, who was rubbing the cheek that Reborn had hit. "Listen up, Tsuna. You don't have time to worry about Azumi. We have no idea who the enemy is or when they'll attack. You need to stay on guard and worry about protecting yourself and protecting the Ring."

Tsuna objected, "But Reborn!"

"The Tenth is right," Gokudera voiced aloud his opinion. His eyes slid over to me. "It'll be troublesome for everyone if we have to protect her."

"Azumi doesn't need your protection," Reborn said seriously. "Having been in Varia for two years, she's the person you need to worry about least."

"V-Varia?" Tsuna stammered, looking up at me with plate-sized eyes.

Smiling at him slightly, I said, "Don't worry about me, Tsuna. Please take care of yourself. Everyone else, too."

"Someone like _you_ is in Vongola's independant elite assassination squad?" Gokudera's voice made it sound preposterous.

Yamamoto blinked his eyes at me, and then he let a melodious sound escape his lips. "Wow! That's amazing!"

"Varia?" Ryohei repeated, frowning slightly as he thought about the word. "Oh, you mean those people we just defeated? You're with them? You must work hard to the extreme!"

I let out a small laugh, but I felt my face flushing slightly. My hands unconsciously clenched into tight fists, the smile on my face just slightly strained. "Thank you." I opened my mouth to say more, but the warning bell signifying that class was about to start rang.

"Get to class, herbivores." It was the first time that Hibari had spoken ever since Reborn showed up. The expression that was on his face wasn't welcoming, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. As if to make his threat more clear, he held up the same tonfa he had used on me, since he hadn't put it away after he had hit me.

"Tch," Gokudera scowled. "At such an important time, we have to drag ourselves back to stupid class."

"Now, now," Yamamoto beamed. "It's alright, isn't it? We should all meet up at Tsuna's after to discuss it a little more."

Ryohei nodded his concurrence. "That sounds like a good plan, Yamamoto! See, Octopus Head, there's no need to get so worked up over everything."

"_Who_ gets worked up over everything?" Gokudera hissed, turning so his back faced us and yanking the door open. When he looked at us again, his expression was gentler. "Tenth, let's get to class before we're late."

"You're right, Gokudera-kun." Stretching out my hand again, Tsuna took it. Helping him as he hoisted himself up back onto his feet, he glanced around at everyone. "We should get to class. We can discuss it more at my house after. Hibari-san, will you be joining—"

His gaze was piercing. "If you decide to crowd around, don't do it within my presence."

"It's okay, Tsuna," I reassured him. Smiling, I said, "I'll tell Hibari about it afterwards, so he doesn't need to be there."

"B-But—" his eyes stated he was clearly worried about my life.

I let out a laugh, not letting him voice his concerns out loud. "Let's go. Sensei's going to get mad at us again. I don't think I can handle a detention on my very first day."  
>As we made our way towards the door, ready to get back to sitting down and listening to lectures, I couldn't help but notice how Hibari didn't move a single millimetre away from his position on the rooftop.<p>

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><p><strong>A  N :**

Soo, yeah! That's the very first chapter of this story. I hope that you guys liked it, and that the chapter wasn't all too boring. Trust me, I fell asleep while writing the very first draft of this story. No jokes. I was _so_ bored with it, and then I eventually just deleted it and started all over again. This is what I came up with in the end. You know, eventually. HAHA.

I apologize if any of the characters are OOC. I hope that if you guys think so, you'll give me some tips and advice on how to improve their characters, as well as what I did that made them OOC. It'll be greatly appreciated! (:

I hope that you guys all liked it! =P

If you liked it, hated it, or have any criticisms to give, then please say so! Drop me a review, or maybe private message me on your opinions and etc. I'd absolutely love to hear from everyone! (:

So, yup~ Review if you guys think this beginning chapter deserves it, or if you want to help me get the ball rollin' on this story. ;D

Hopefully, I'll see you guys all soon!

Ja ne,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	2. What the Future Holds

**Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**

**A / N :**

AND HERE IT IS.

The second chapter of You, Who Will Never Be Bound! (: Man, I was so surprised when I finished this... I hadn't been expecting to get it done so fast. OTL I've been going through this writing phase that's got me typing for hours and hours. Holy crap, I've been neglecting all my studies. -SHOT-

Thank you for all the reviews that you guys left me! I was so surprised at the number- I really wasn't expecting so much. So for that, I'm really grateful (:

I hope that y'all enjoy this chapter as well!

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><p><strong>CHAPTER TWO;<strong>

_"What the Future Holds"_

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><p>"Azu-chan? My, my, you've grown up so much since the last time I saw you!" Nana, Tsuna's mother, exclaimed as she rushed over and embraced me tightly.<p>

"It's been a long time, Nana!" I laughed as I returned her embrace. "Have you been well?"

She nodded her head enthusiastically, beaming at me. Her light oak eyes were sparkling as she pulled away, clasping her hands together in front of her chest as an idea hit her. "How about I make your favourite, Azu-chan? Takoyaki, right?"

My eyes widened, surprised she had remembered. "Is that—are you sure it's okay?"

"Of course, of course!" she grinned widely, warmly. "Will you be staying with us like before? I remember you and Tsu-kun would always have so much fun together!"

I wasn't sure how she could be so welcoming, even after I had been gone for so long. It was definitely a different feeling compared to the Varia base in Italy, where it felt like we went through each day following the laws of the jungle. It warmed my heart to think that despite everything, she could still accept me so easily.

Although I had stayed over at Dino's yesterday night, I didn't want to impose on him _too_ much. After all, as the Chiavarone Famiglia Boss, he was extremely busy. I felt like having me there made him feel obligated to make sure I wasn't alone, forcing him to pull away from his work to keep me company and entertain me. Of course, Dino was kind enough to do so without any complaints, but it was still something that tugged at the corner of my mind.

Being with the Sawada household was, in a way, very similar. Iemitsu worked hard to provide everything for his family—I felt as if I was freeloading off of him if I were to stay. After all, the Sawada household is not only home to me, but to many other members of the Vongola Famiglia as well.

Before coming, Iemitsu had, of course, told me I should stay at his home with his family. He told me I was always welcomed there, but there was still a guilt that lurked in my heart. If I had to choose between the two, I'd pick the Sawada household without a second of hesitation, simply because I had so many memories here, while the Chiavarone household felt foreign to me.

Making up my mind, I smiled at her. "If you don't mind, Nana."

"No, of course not!" Her eyes were gleaming. "You and Tsu-kun will stay in his room like usual, unless you're not okay with that anymore?"

Shaking my head, I grinned at her. "No, no—I'd love to stay with Tsuna. It'll just be like old times, right?" I turned to look at the male, who blushed slightly.

"W-Well," he mumbled. "If that's what you want, Azumi."

Gokudera's voice was laced with complete and utter disbelief. "You'll be sharing a room with the Tenth? How could you? Aren't you a little too old to do this, Tenth? If you don't want to share a room with that woman, just say so!"

"Isn't it fine?" Yamamoto asked lightly, letting out a chortle. "Tsuna and Azumi seem more like family than anything else."

Tsuna scratched the back of his head gently. "T-That's true."

"I have a futon," I reassured him with a laugh. "We won't be sharing the bed again like we did two years ago."

Flabbergasted, Gokudera shrilled, "You shared a bed with the Tenth?"

"Oi, Sawada!" Ryohei roared, his eyes flaring. "Nothing inappropriate better have happened. Gentlemen do not do such things to ladies, to the extreme!"

Shaking my head, I reassured them, "We were practically knocked out by the time we went to bed, since we would stay up late just talking. Nothing happened, really. Tsuna takes really good care of me."

"A-Azumi!" he mumbled in protest, clearly embarrassed.

"That's right," Nana agreed wholeheartedly. Her eyes fell affectionately onto the two of us, and her teeth flashed. "You two are so close. Tsu-kun and Azu-chan always look out for each other, so it's okay."

Bowing at her, I said, "Thank you so much for letting me stay, Nana. I don't know how I'll repay your hospitality."

She waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about such things!" After embracing me once more, she notified us, "I'll be making the takoyaki now. I'll bring it up to your room when I'm done, okay, Tsu-kun?"

He nodded. "Okay. Come on, everyone, let's head up to my room." We all climbed up his staircase after taking off our shoes, passing through familiar hallways that were still exactly the same as they were two years ago. The entire household still emitted a certain warmth that instantly relaxed me.

Just as Tsuna opened up the door that led to his room, I heard a young, lively voice exclaim, "Tsuna! Tsuna, guess what Lambo-san did today?" He let out an adorable laugh, running up to stand right in front of Tsuna.

"Lambo, it's not a really good time right now," Tsuna told the infant hesitantly, looking down at the baby clad in cow patterned clothing.

"Eh?" Lambo stretched the word out. "But, but why? Lambo-san is talking to you, Tsuna! _Lambo-san_ is!" He stopped for a moment, turning his head and blinking his wide, vibrantly shining forest-green eyes at me. Picking his nose, he asked, "Who are you? Are you here to be Lambo-san's henchman?"

Another baby, this time with dark hair braided at the top of her head, ran up to the jade-eyed infant. "Lambo, no! Remember manners, no be rude!" Turning to look at me as well, she placed her hands together and bowed. "I I-pin. Nihao."

Smiling, I bowed at the two. "I'm Shimizu Azumi. It's nice to meet you, I-Pin, Lambo." Having prepared everything beforehand, I told them, "I actually have something for the two of you."

Eyes wide, Lambo sauntered towards me. "Alalala, what do you have for the greatest hitman on earth, Lambo-san?"

"Azumi?" Tsuna was confused.

"Don't spoil the stupid cow so much!" Gokudera folded his arms across his chest, a sour look on his face as he looked at Lambo in distaste.

Lambo scowled back at him, "Stupid-Dera, Lambo-san is not spoiled! Just because I'm better than you—"

"That's it! Come here, you stupid—"

"Ah! I found it," I stepped in between the bickering two, pulling out a bag of candy out of my school bag. I handed it to Lambo, who took it into his small hands eagerly. "It's candy from Italy, Lambo. I hope you like it."

Lambo let out another cute laugh. "Lambo-san's going to eat it all!" He began to run towards the door, the bag of candy blocking his entire face and obscuring his vision, though he didn't seem to care.

Chidingly, I-Pin hollered, "Lambo, you must share!" She was just about to run after him, but she stopped and looked at me curiously when I told her I had something for her as well. "I-Pin, too?"

Beaming at her, I pulled out a thin, delicate silver bracelet that was weaved with intricate designs. "Hold your hand out, please." When she did so, I placed the thin chain around her wrist, clasping it on a hook that was suited for her wrist size. I had chosen it not just because of its beauty, but because it was a bracelet that could easily change and adapt to her growth.

"Is it okay?" I-Pin asked me, her face turning red. "Something for I-Pin?"

"Of course," I told her with a beam. "Do you like it?"

Nodding her head enthusiastically, she clasped her hands together and bowed again. "Xie xie," she said.

Shaking my head, I grinned at her. "I think that Lambo's getting bored without you, I-Pin."

"Ah, Lambo!" she exclaimed, remembering her playmate. "Nice meeting you, I-Pin find Lambo now." She bowed once more before hurrying out of the room, rushing to catch up with the baby with the wild hair.

After she left, Tsuna looked at me. "A bracelet? You must've spent a lot on it."

"Not really," I told him honestly. "It had been on sale." Which was true. It was an incredible deal, too.

"How thoughtful," Yamamoto commented, making himself comfortable on the floor in front of the table in Tsuna's room. "You sure are prepared, Azumi."

Happy that everything seemed to be going smoothly, I sat down next to the onyx-haired male. I could feel the pain of my bruising abdomen and thigh with each movement, but I pushed the dull throbbing into the back of my mind. I had been through much, much worse. "Well, I already knew general things about all of you. I have to make a good impression on everyone, don't I?"

The smile that I had on my face was a bit strained as I struggled not to think about it. How it was so pathetic that it was like this.

"At least you didn't get something like that for the stupid cow," Gokudera approved slightly. He plopped down next to Ryohei, who had taken a seat on Yamamoto's other side, and Tsuna took the space between Gokudera and I.

"It was nice of you." Tsuna glanced at me. "You really haven't changed."

"I could say the exact same thing about you," I retaliated, smiling.

Gokudera broke the light moment by saying, "Sorry to ruin the happy atmosphere, Tenth, but we need to discuss something more important here."

"It's their reunion, Octopus Head! It should be fine, shouldn't it? Just give them another minute. Seeing old friends after long periods of time is very heart-warming, to the extreme!"

"No, no," I shook my head. "It's fine. We should discuss about this situation—it's definitely important."

Appearing out of nowhere, Reborn showed up dressed in a costume shaped as a shield with the Vongola Famiglia symbol on the front. "Ciaossu."

"Reborn!" Tsuna and I greeted simultaneously.

"You're here, Kid!" Yamamoto looked amazed at how Reborn popped up out of nowhere, which was something that astounded me a bit as well.

"That's some amazing magic trick, to the extreme!" Ryohei leaned forward, hands on his knees, to peer more closely at Reborn.

Deciding to ignore the Sun Guardian, Reborn got us back on track. "Let the discussion regarding our current situation begin! What do you think, Azumi?"

"Well," I started hesitantly, "I think that they'd aim for Lambo or Hibari."

"Lambo? But he's just a kid!"

"That's exactly why, Tenth," Gokudera responded, voice grim. "He's an easy target. Since he's still a stupid baby cow, he doesn't know how to fight back. He'd be to easiest to take out and take a Ring from."

Yamamoto leaned back on both his palms. "Then we just need to keep Lambo with one of us at all times. The problem's easily solved."

"Who would want to have that stupid cow with them all the time?" Gokudera objected, his lips curling in agitation and revulsion. "I don't want to babysit him—I'd strangle him before they even get to Namimori."

Reborn's voice held a tone that said it was obvious from the start. "Tsuna will be looking after Lambo, of course."

"I-I will?" Tsuna blinked at the hitman that stood, still dressed up in his elaborate costume, on the table that we were all surrounding.

"What are you saying? Of course you will. You're the Boss, No-Good Tsuna," Reborn answered easily. "The problem is that you have school, so nobody will be in the house to look after him."

"I don't see a problem with that." Ryohei's eyebrows furrowed together. "Just take the little guy with us."

"Stupid Turf Head!" Gokudera's lips tightened for a moment before saying, "We can't just bring a baby to school. There's no way that the teachers will be okay with it. And the stupid cow causes so much ruckus, we'd get expelled within the first ten seconds!"

Although I doubted it would work, I asked, "How about asking Hibari to take care of him?"

"H-Hibari-san?" Tsuna resounded, a look of fear crossing through his features. Shaking his head rapidly, he rejected the idea fiercely. "No, no, no. I-I don't think that'll work, Azumi."

"The Tenth is right on this one, woman. There's no way that Hibari would do it. And even if he did, he'd throttle the stupid cow faster than I would," Gokudera muttered. Even though he kept calling Lambo "the stupid cow", the fact he didn't want Lambo with Hibari was definitely some sign of affection.

"But he's the only one who doesn't seem to go to class," I pointed out. I was curious as to why he was still in middle school. After all, shouldn't someone of his age have already graduated and moved onto high school? I didn't voice my questions aloud though, instead choosing to keep them to myself.

Perhaps I'd ask him personally later.

Yamamoto had a reflective look on his face. "I'm sure that Hibari wouldn't hurt Lambo."

"Are you blind?" Gokudera demanded. "He's bloodthirsty. If the stupid cow gets on his nerves—which is bound to happen—then Hibari won't hesitate to kill the annoying kid!"

"Ah," I blinked, surprised I hadn't thought about it before. "Why don't we ask Dino?" As soon as the suggestion left my lips, I silently apologized to the older man. I had felt guilty about burdening him by saying at his residence, but now here I was, pushing Lambo onto him. There was no doubt that I was less of a handful than the cow-suited infant.

Reborn slapped his cane down onto the back of my hand, which had been resting on the table in front of me. It wasn't an extremely hard hit, but my skin still stung. "Don't bring the Chiavarone Famiglia into this. Dino has other things to do."

"But what else can we do, Reborn?" Tsuna inquired, looking hopefully at the Arcobaleno in hopes that the small male would provide the answer or, at the very least, a hint.

"You're the Boss, Tsuna," Reborn answered unhelpfully.

"We'll figure this out, to the extreme!" Ryohei exclaimed, the tone that intertwined with his slightly rough voice signifying that there was no room for argument.

All of us sat in silence as we pondered what we could do. I still felt like asking Dino and his men to take care of Lambo would be the most secure measure we could take, if none of us could be with him. However, Reborn also made a very valid point—we couldn't just expect Dino to drop his responsibilities as a Boss so easily just to help us out. Even though he was of an alliance Famiglia, both corporations held mutual respect for one another. Forcing him to take care of Lambo would seem almost as if we were disregarding the significance of his duties compared to ours.

It made me regret not asking Squalo to stay a while longer before returning to the base. Although, it was likely that Squalo wouldn't be able to handle Lambo calmly either, it was better than leaving Lambo all alone without someone to protect him. Squalo wouldn't have been happy, and Lambo wouldn't be cheerful in the least with a guard like Squalo, but he got the job done. He never made any mistakes when they truly counted.

Thinking of the long-haired swordsman made my mind drift off to the Ring Conflict, and then to the Cloud Match, in which the real Ninth was found. It was a horrible thing to merely _hear_ about—I couldn't have imagined how Reborn felt, having to watch the scene unfold with his very eyes.

Everyone had gone through a lot of training, from what I had been told. Colonnello helped Ryohei triumph against Lussuria, who had underestimated the silver-haired boxer. Shamal had taught Gokudera well, and if it hadn't been for pure stubbornness on Bel's part, the blond genius wouldn't have survived nor won. Yamamoto's father had passed down something precious to the onyx-haired baseball player, and he trained hard not to disappoint his father—which he didn't, when he defeated an arrogant Squalo. Chrome had gone through a scary and painful time when her fake organs began to disappear, and I couldn't fathom how she had felt as she lay there. To not run away after experiencing such a thing, it was admirable. I never would have thought Mukuro would be the one to inherit the title of Mist Guardian and defeat Mammon, whom I had always thought created unbelievably realistic illusions. Hibari had been astonishing during his match, defeating Gola Mosca with such grace and ease; I wondered how hard he had trained with Dino to achieve such amazing movement.

And then there was Tsuna, who had trained so hard with Reborn and Basil, trying to master a technique that—my train of thought stopped, my eyes widening as I realized what I had just thought about.

Breaking the silence that had settled around us, I looked around at their faces. "How about Basil?"

"Basil-kun?" Tsuna's eyebrows knitted together just a tiny fraction. "I thought that he had already left for Italy with Lancia-san."

Shaking my head, I bit down on my lower lip. "I don't think that Basil left yet. He still hadn't returned back to Italy when I boarded the plane to Namimori, so it's safe to assume that he had received different orders. It's possible he's still here."

"How will we contact him?" Gokudera raised an eyebrow at me. "Unless you have his number?"

"Of course," I beamed at them, reaching for my schoolbag. Taking out my mobile, I searched through the list of contacts. When I could hear it ringing, I set it to speaker and placed the device on the table so that everyone could hear. It wasn't long before the pale blond answered the phone.

_"Shimizu-dono!_"

"Basil!" I greeted enthusiastically, smiling even though he couldn't see it. Although we were only a year apart, due to the fact we were on different teams in the Vongola Famiglia, it was hard for us to spend a lot of time together. Nonetheless, we kept in touch often through our cell-phones, and we were close.

There was a smile in his kind, velvety voice as he asked, "_It is unusual for thee to call at such an hour. Did something occur, Shimizu-dono_?"

"Sorry," I apologized automatically. "Are you busy right now, Basil?"

Quickly, he denied, "_No, no! Not at all. I'm merely curious. I was worried that something had happened to thee."_

"Thank you, Basil." He was too kind for his own good. "I mean—there's nothing really _wrong_, but I was wondering if you're still in Namimori?"

_"Yes, I am,"_ he answered. There was a pause, and then, "_Ah! So the person that the Vongola sent to help Sawada-dono is thou, Shimizu-dono_?"

Not surprised that he had gotten it so quickly, I said, "Yup! We actually need a little help, Basil."

_"I'll be happy to be of any assistance to everyone,"_ he said sincerely. He hadn't even taken a second to think it through. It just slipped out of his mouth instantly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Ah, thank you, Basil-kun!" Tsuna couldn't help but say, breathing out a sigh of relief. His face eased itself out of the worry lines that had been etched onto his features, and he smiled.

"_Sawada-dono?_" Slight surprise coated the voice of the cobalt-eyed male on the other side of the line, but it was quickly replaced with a smiling tone. "_There's no need to thank me. What is it that I must do? I shall do it to the best of my abilities._"

"We need you to take care of the stupid cow," Gokudera informed Basil plainly.

_"Gokudera-dono," _Basil acknowledged, masking his surprise easily. "_Could thou possibly mean Lambo-dono_?"

Yamamoto let out a light laugh. "You got it, Basil."

"_Yamamoto-dono! Shall I take a guess and say that Sasagawa-dono is there as well?"_

"You are good at guessing things to the extreme!" I wondered, briefly, if Ryohei actually remembered who Basil was and what he looked like.

_"Not in particularly, but thank you for the compliment,_" Basil said on the other line. _"Back to the subject at hand—I will gladly look after Lambo-dono. When shall this take place?"_

Tsuna's tone was apologetic, "Whenever we have school. Sorry, Basil-kun, for asking you to do something like this. You must be busy."

"_No, please do not apologize, Sawada-dono_," Basil's tone was firm. "_Is there anything specifically I should know_?"

I shook my head, and then I realized he couldn't see me. Hastily, I voiced aloud, "No—the information you have is the information that was given to me as well."

"_I see,_" he mused. _"Everyone must go to school tomorrow early in the morning, correct? I shall make sure to be there to keep Lambo-dono safe during your absences._"

"Thank you, Basil-kun," Tsuna said gratefully.

"Where will you be staying, Basil?" I questioned, curious.

Reborn slipped into our conversation. "Yes, where are you staying, Basil? Come and stay with Tsuna. Mama is the best at cooking."

"_Reborn-dono! I cannot possibly stay with Sawada-dono. There is no need to worry about me. Arrangements have already been made beforehand as a precaution in case I'd need to stay longer. I assume that it is because they want me to keep a watchful eye on things as well to help you out, Shimizu-dono."_

"Is that so? That's a pity," Reborn remarked, though he didn't sound like it was remorseful at all. He was still clad in his costume—wasn't it bothering him? It looked like it would be extremely hot wearing that heavy attire for such an extended period of time.

Grunting, Gokudera grumbled warningly, "You better not forget."

_"Rest assured, Gokudera-dono. I will not forget,_" Basil offered his reassurance.

"Thank you so much, Basil," I restated Tsuna's words from earlier. "Sorry to ask you to do this."

_"Like I said, please do not say such things,_" Basil reminded me. There was a pause, and then he said, _"And I apologize for the abruptness, but I must take my leave._"

Concerned instantly, Tsuna asked urgently, "Is something wrong, Basil-kun?"

_"No,_" Basil answered, sounding slightly confused. _"It is just that I have another call._"

"Oh, that's it?" Tsuna relaxed, his muscles unclenching slightly.

"Okay, Basil. We'll see you tomorrow," I murmured. "Take care of yourself."

"_You all as well,_" he answered before the line went dead. I retrieved my phone from the wooden table, placing it into my opened bag.

Yamamoto's eyes were bright. "Well, that's one problem solved. It wasn't so hard, was it, Gokudera?"

"Shut up, Yamamoto," was Gokudera's loving response.

"Now we need to worry about Hibari-san," Tsuna announced, his lips pursing slightly.

Ryohei's eyebrows furrowed and he stared at Tsuna with a downward tilt of the lips. "Hibari? Why do we need to worry about him? He's strong to the extreme!"

"Ryohei's right," I nodded, lightly nudging Tsuna with my elbow. I smiled at him reassuringly, "Hibari can take care of himself just fine. Besides, there's a reason why I'm going to school with everyone."

Lifting his lips into a smile that resembled mine, Yamamoto nodded his head. "That's right, Tsuna. We're all at school together. It should be fine. We have one another to rely on if we need it, and besides, Hibari isn't the head of the Disciplinary Committee for nothing, right?"

"As much as I hate to admit it," Gokudera forced between his teeth, "There's a reason why he's Guardian of the Cloud Ring."

"Onii-san, Azumi, Yamamoto, Gokudera-kun..." the spiky-haired brunette trailed off for a moment, his eyes skimming over ours. Eventually, he let a small smile curl at his lips. "You're right. Hibari-san won't lose to anyone."

"That's right!" Ryohei said loudly, his hands clenching into tight fists.

Yamamoto looked like he was going to say something, but just then, knuckles rapped on Tsuna's door. All of us turned to look at who would come in, though the smell of delicious food gave it away. I could feel my mouth watering at the tantalizing aroma—I definitely missed Nana's cooking after I left.

Sure enough, the kind-hearted woman entered the room, although she was not alone like we had all presumed. Instead, two girls were with her, one holding the large tray of takoyaki where the plates and utensils were also neatly placed. The other held onto another tray, this time with two different pitchers of juice as well as cups.

The one carrying the drinks looked extremely familiar, and I realized after gazing at her for a moment that she was Sasagawa Kyoko, Ryohei's younger sister. I had also taken a look at her profile before coming, but it took a second for it to click in my mind. Unlike her older brother, whose hair was a shining silver, her hair was a bright shade of orange that reached her shoulders. Her eyes were extremely wide and round, the irises a shade of brown—almost so light that it was amber—that was beautiful. A slightly surprised, but friendly smile was on her face.

Miura Haru, the one carrying the takoyaki and plates, had her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she looked at me. Her dark walnut hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, a few stray strands framing her face. She had a milky complexion, her skin looking soft and undeniably smooth. Her large, doe-like eyes were a gentle shade of milk chocolate.

"Sorry it took me so long," Nana apologized with a sweet smile. She gestured to the two ladies and continued, "But we had some more unexpected guests, so I had to prepare more than I had originally planned."

"Lambo-san wants some takoyaki," Lambo complained loudly as he lumbered into the room, I-Pin on his trail. He was still carrying the bag of candy I had given him, and he had on an unsatisfied look. I-Pin, however, had her eyebrows strung together and a small frown lingering on her lips.

"Manners, Lambo!"

"Kyoko-chan, Haru!" Tsuna exclaimed, taken aback. His eyes slid from the brunette to the other Nami Middle student, his eyes widening just the slightest fraction, glinting with something that made me smile.

Haru and Kyoko both said simultaneously, "Sorry to intrude!"

"I have to do some grocery shopping for dinner, Tsu-kun, so please watch the house, okay?" Nana beamed, waiting for Tsuna's nod before closing the door behind her as she prepared to leave the house.

With a bright smile, Haru walked up to where we were and placed the tray down onto the table as Kyoko followed her actions. "Tsuna-san! Haru has once again come to visit you!"

"Sorry about coming over without earlier notice, Tsuna-kun," Kyoko apologized.

"Kyoko!" Ryohei stood up from the floor. "Why are you here? Did you hear anything before you came in?"

She blinked her eyes at him for a moment, before sharing a confused and befuddled look with Haru. Turning back to Ryohei, who had an intense look on his face, she shook her head. "No, Onii-chan. Why?"

Freezing slightly, Ryohei let out a nervous, blaring laugh. Slinging an arm around her shoulders, I prepared myself to hear one of his unbelievable and lame excuses. "We were just discussing some things—there's going to be another sumo contest, you know? Ahaha..." over the younger sibling's head, his eyes shot us all a look to be quiet and keep our mouths shut.

"Ah?" Kyoko gasped slightly. "_Another_ sumo contest? It must be a lot of fun."

Nodding her head softly, Haru spaced out wistfully. "If only I could see Tsuna-san participating in the sumo contest. I would die happy!"

"D-Dying seems a little too extreme." Tsuna's eye twitched slightly, his face paling.

Turning to face me, Kyoko's eyes locked with mine for a moment. I smiled at her, trying to convey that I wasn't anyone dangerous, even though I was. "Nice to meet you. I'm Shimizu Azumi."

Slowly, her lips followed the action of mine. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry for not speaking with you today—I haven't even introduced myself properly! I'm Sasagawa Kyoko. It's nice to meet you, Shimizu-san."

"Are you a new transfer student?" Haru inquired curiously, her eyebrows raised up to her hairline. "I'm Miura Haru, it's nice to meet you! I hope that we get along well."

Nodding my head in confirmation to her first question, I added, "It's nice meeting you, Haru."

"Lambo-san wants takoyaki!" Lambo jumped up and latched onto Tsuna's shoulder, causing the brunette to let out a yelp. "Tsuna," he whined, stretching out the name. "_Tsuna_. Lambo-san wants takoyaki right _now_."

"Lambo, be patient," Tsuna said, sighing. He reached over, grabbing the stack of plates and handing them to me. I took one, handing the stack to Yamamoto, who repeated my actions.

I spent the rest of that afternoon laughing, smiling, and silently observing all of those around me. Somehow, I clicked with all of them relatively well. None of the usual occurrences took place, which surprised me. I couldn't help but muse about it in the back of my mind—was this what the tenth generation was like?

But then again, it was also because they hadn't met her yet.

* * *

><p>The night was eerily still, the sound of even a single breath in the room sounding like thunder had struck. The steady, deep breathing of all those in the same room as me was soothing, calming almost. And yet, my gut clenched restlessly. A feeling of dread welled up inside me, almost so strong that it consumed me entirely.<p>

Staring up into the darkness, barely able to see if there was a ceiling there after all or if it was just an endless pool of black, I pursed my lips together tightly, my hands clenching around the material of my futon.

Something felt so incredibly wrong.

I had always felt uneasy when I wasn't sure what I would be up against, something that a lot of people could relate to. After all, when going out on missions, I always had an idea of what would be awaiting me. Information on the group, their abilities, possible traps in the base—most of that information would be gathered and given to me, letting me analyze and understand the situation fully. Even if there wasn't enough information, during those times, I had always been fortunate enough to be with someone who was experienced and knowledgeable. They provided me a plan, and I focussed solely on my own role.

It was rare that I was left in the dark about the enemy without a concrete, confident plan.

But for some reason, the apprehension I felt this time was different. It was something that reached through me, gripping at my spine, clutching at my soul. Sorrow and a feeling of complete and utter devastation entered through the clutching hands of Dread, making me shiver unpleasantly despite the warmth the room was filled with.

My stomach clenched and unclenched in a way that was almost painful, and in response, I curled up into myself for a moment, squeezing my eyes shut. It was such a horrible feeling. The amount of horror that rushed through my veins was thick, my heart beating faster and faster even though nothing was coming yet.

Maybe I was just imagining it. Perhaps all this was just due to the overwhelming feelings of coming back to Japan after two years. It was possible that all these negative feelings I had were just due to the fear I wouldn't be accepted by Tsuna's Family.

Deciding that I would get some fresh air to see if it would clear my mind, I lightly slipped out of the futon covers, careful not to make too much noise. When I was successfully out from under the covers and standing up, I glanced over at Tsuna, who was sleeping soundly on his bed. His mouth hung open, his arms flailed in strange positions, his blanket having been pushed away to rest at his waist. He looked like he was about to suffocate from the heat the thick blanket provided him.

Reborn, who was sleeping on the rope hammock that hung from Tsuna's ceiling, was snoring away with his hands clasped together and resting on his stomach. He looked peaceful, just like Tsuna, even though I knew both of them were worried about what was to come.

I manoeuvred myself swiftly, but quietly out of Tsuna's room and down the stairs. Luckily, the creaking of the stairs had all been minimal, and by the time I reached the bottom of the stairs without waking anyone up, breathing seemed to get harder.

When I got to the sliding glass doors that led to the back deck, I unlocked it and pushed it open far enough for my body to slip outside, making sure to close it behind me, though leaving it unlocked. The moment I stepped outside, the cool air embraced me like I was an old friend, making goose-bumps rise on my skin.

The moon was three-quarters full, its rays bright and illuminating the dark blanket of night. Nervousness fluttered inside me, my throat tightening. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around myself, almost like it was going to protect me even if I knew it wouldn't.

Three minutes.

Deciding that was my time limit outside, I quickly made my way up to the rooftop of the Sawada household. When I got up there, I sat down and pulled my knees up to my chest, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat. With every breath I took, the air left a trail that almost seemed to burn.

The uneasiness I felt wouldn't disappear.

Would the enemies be strong? Weak? Would they be great in numbers? Would they only be a small cluster of people? I tried my best to think, to concentrate, but I couldn't. With every little sound that reached my ears, I jolted.

Unable to stand it any longer, even though I had barely spent any time outside, I swallowed and hastily jumped down from the roof, reaching out to grasp and open up the glass doors.

And I wasn't stupid enough to delude myself into thinking there was any other reason besides _that_one that explained why my body shook.

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><p><strong>A  N :**

And that concludes the second chapter! Yeah, yeah, it's goin' slow and Hibari didn't make an appearance in it, but I felt like it was more realistic and informing if I wrote this chapter. Next chapter for sure will contain some Hibari goodness, so look forward to it!

I hope that you guys liked this chapter, and that none of the characters were OCC. I was, like the first, fretting over it. -SHOT-

I also apologize for any mistakes in grammar, spelling and etc.

Lots of love and thanks to;

** 10th Squad 3rd Seat, Phoenix. kiss, kuroitsubasa24, steel-alchemist, Youknowwhothisis, Tsukuda Sumiko, Jaesun Michele, and MoonlitNite**

Also, lots of thanks to those who have favourited and alerted! (: You guys rock, too. =P

I feel like it's important that I address **Jaesun Michele**'s review, though. So I hope you read this, love~ And, you know, to all those who want to. It _is_important =P Sort of.

IT'S NOT LIKE I'M MAD. SO DON'T JUST NOT READ THIS 'CAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA HEAR ME B-TCH YOU OUT. O_O 'Cause, really, I'm not.

I was actually kinda happy when I read your review, because it was what I was going for. Sorta. I mean, like... I don't know if it's just me, or don't people always seem kinda perfect when you first meet them? I know that's how it was like when I first met my friends, and a lot of others. MAYBE IT'S JUST ME. OTL. In order to make it seem more realistic ( or, at least, what I feel is realistic... But then again, I've been told more than once that I'm weird ), I wanted that to be like how you guys first perceive Azumi as well.

I know, I know- I'm probably being stupid, 'cause if she seems like a Mary-Sue, then no one will wanna continue reading.

But, Iunno. I feel like it's more realistic this way. Maybe it doesn't make sense to anyone but myself... -SHOT- And maybe it's 'cause I'm the only one who knows exactly how Azumi's like and everything that she feels and etc, since she's my character. I feel like a lot of people who find nice protagonists are Mary-Sues, and I don't believe that it's true. I hope that you'll continue with me and watch as Azumi develops, as well as to see everything unfold (:

BUT, YOU KNOW, YEAH.. LOL. I was kinda happy when I read your review, since it was what I had been aiming for. But I was also kinda like, "Aw, crap..." since, y'know... Having people think that isn't good. BUT, YEAH- Ahmygod, I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. LOL. -SHOTSHOTSHOT-

Anyways... Thanks to those who actually read that. I felt a need to clarify it. xD

So, yeah, guyssssss. Thanks for reviewing and for alerting~ It makes me happy to read your reviews, and criticism is also welcomed, since I feel like it'll help me improve as a writer.

Please drop me a review to help motivate me write and also to tell me your thoughts and opinions, whether it be positive, negative, or something in the middle!

I hope that I'll be able to write and update soon~

Ja ne,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	3. Moving but Motionless

**Disclaimer : I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**

**A / N :**

YOO, GUYS. (:

I spent so long typing up this chapter. OTL. I felt like I couldn't get it right, but... ENEOWNBEWOB. I DID. I THINK. Well, I'm mostly satisfied with it. xD I'm glad that I actually finished it within, like, ten days... I mean, I'm trying to update this story every week, but... It's going pretty good right now, so I'm hoping it'll stay this way. xD

I hope that you guys will like this chapter, and thank you for your support! (:

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><p><strong>CHAPTER THREE;<strong>

_"Moving but Motionless" _

* * *

><p>After I had pulled all my long, layered hair to one side and braided it with a thick white ribbon inserted into it—something that my mom had taught me how to do when I was younger—I glanced briefly into the mirror once more before making my way down towards the kitchen. When I entered, the warm-hearted woman turned around, her eyes widening for a moment before a smile stretched across her face.<p>

Peeking around, I noticed how Reborn, Lambo, I-Pin, Fuuta—who I had met for the first time in my entire life yesterday night, and Bianchi—who I had a mutual friendship and alliance with, despite not being very close to each other—had already seated themselves, some already eating away. Lambo was devouring the food on the table like a vacuum.

"Good morning," I greeted everyone, offering a smile.

"Good morning," Bianchi chorused with I-Pin.

Reborn briefly glanced at me before turning back to his meal. "Ciaossu."

"Good morning, Azumi-nee." Fuuta turned around from his seat to look at me. "Did you sleep well?"

Nodding my head, I beamed at the sweet little boy. "Yes I did, Fuuta. Thank you. How about you?"

"I did," he answered. "Come and sit, Azumi-nee! Mama made us all omelettes."

Before I could respond, Lambo laughed, coming up to me. "You're up! Lambo-san wants more candy. The soft kinds. The kinds that have little things sticking out of them and kind of look funny. The ones with lots of colours."

"Sorry, Lambo, but I don't have any left," I apologized, watching as his face fell. It should be illegal for children to look so dejected—it was unfair, since most people would automatically try and please them. I was, unfortunately, no exception. "But I'll go shopping after school today and I'll get you some of that candy, okay?"

"But Lambo-san wants it _now_," he retorted, his voice weaving into a whine.

"How about I take you shopping later, Lambo-kun? That way you can pick whichever candy you want," Nana offered, her eyes meeting mine knowingly.

Lambo paused to think about it, but he didn't need to think for long. Nodding his head, he agreed, "I'll go shopping with Mama, then! Lambo-san's going to get _lots_ and _lots_ of candy! I'm not going to share with anyone!"

"Lambo!" I-Pin instantly scolded.

The loud infant merely stuck his tongue out, prompting a wild game of tag between the two as they chased one another. I watched as they left the kitchen and disappeared into the living room, chuckling at the enthusiastic pair.

"You're sure up early today, Azu-chan," Nana commented, a spatula in her hand. "School doesn't start for another hour."

"I know," I smiled at her. "But I have something I want to do, so I'm going to go to school a bit earlier." Sliding into the seat next to Fuuta, I slung an arm around his small shoulders and pulled him close to me, giving him a single-armed hug momentarily before letting go.

"My, is that so?" Nana picked up a large white egg, saying, "Then I should hurry and make you a delicious breakfast to start your day off! It'll be ready in a few minutes."

Breakfast passed by with small chatter and light laughter, and by the time I left the house, school was forty minutes from starting. Although Reborn hadn't said anything, I knew that he understood why I was going so early, and to the school no less. There was only one reason why I would be doing this, and it surprised me slightly at how he didn't seem to disapprove.

There were no other students walking to school yet due to the earliness of it all, and I breathed in the scent of the morning deeply. It was still strange to wake up and not be in my shared room in Italy, but it was even stranger to wake up in the Sawada household with so many people staying there.

When I had last visited, it had just been Tsuna, Nana, Iemitsu, and I. Back then, Tsuna and I would play with one another for hours and hours. Whenever we ate together, it had just been the four of us, and yet now, numerous people occupied the dining table. It wasn't a bad thing, but it was definitely something I wasn't quite used to seeing at the Sawada home.

It wasn't long before I found myself walking down the hall that had the reception room in it, my footsteps loud in the silence. They echoed softly through the vacant corridor, and I wondered what he'd be doing so early in the morning at school. Sleeping? Doing some paperwork? Would he be contemplating ways to improve the discipline in Nami Middle?

Grasping the handle of the door, I slid it open and popped my head in. The onyx-haired prefect was sitting behind a dark, shiny wooden desk that had a stack of papers on one side while the other side had another, much smaller, pile. His eyes flashed up to meet mine, and I smiled at him.

"Good morning!"

"What do you think you're doing?" he questioned, his sharp eyes narrowing as I stepped into the room, shutting the door behind me softly.

I tilted my head at him, regarding him with observing eyes. His amazing orbs never left mine, the intense look in them making my lips curl up even more. Rocking lightly back on my heels, I informed him, "I'm keeping you company."

"Company?" he repeated slowly. His jaw tightened. "I don't need such a thing. Get out of my sight before I bite you to death."

Instead of listening to him, I ventured further into the room, taking in its luxury. I carefully placed my bag on the black couch next to the armrest before making my way to stand in front of him. With the desk in between us, I looked down and noticed that he was, indeed, doing paperwork like I had thought.

"Do you need any help?" I inquired, my eyes flickering to the large stack of papers. It was an enormous pile. Was this what he had to do every day? Signing all of those papers looked torturous. My hand felt like it was cramping up just at the thought of it.

"You're an annoyance," he said frankly. There was a slight twinge of irritation dancing along with his smooth voice, but there was no outright, uncontrollable anger. Though, as I already knew, even when angry, Hibari Kyoya would not lose his composure.

"So I've heard," I responded. I lightly touched the top of the desk, noticing that there wasn't a single speck of dust on it. Unconsciously, my smile turned into a wistful look, and I let out a small sigh before I moved around the desk and towards the windows that Hibari had his back to. Looking outside at the peacefulness of Namimori, I wondered how I could've had such a horrible feeling during the night.

A sudden pain exploded near the back of my head, and instinctively, the word, "Ow!" left my lips. Something fell and clattered on the floor, rolling on its side to a stop as my foot got in the way. My hands automatically reached up to touch the throbbing spot on my head, and I turned around to see Hibari scowling violently at me.

I tried to be angry at him, but since I already had an idea of what happened, I could only manage to mock-scowl at him for a few seconds before the smile completely overrode the stern expression. I rubbed my head lightly and commented, "Amazing, right?"

"_Never_," he emphasized, "butt your head into my business again. I _will_—"

Not allowing him to finish his signature sentence, I blinked my eyes at him innocently. "What are you talking about?" Perhaps it was better if he didn't know what had really transpired.

His tonfa swung at me so suddenly, I barely had time to react. It grazed my cheek, and there was a stinging sensation before I felt something warm trickling down my skin. His eyes were absolutely glacial as he looked at me, but his features were still rearranged into a blank front.

"I don't want to waste time on you, herbivore," he stated, "but someone as infuriating as you needs to be punished."

A small laugh escaped my mouth. "So Dino _did_ convince you to take them," I observed, beaming. I hadn't been sure at first, but I had already gotten my confirmation when he had targeted me with his right tonfa. "I'm glad that your shoulder feels better."

He advanced closer, his tonfas held threateningly in his hands. When he was within range, he aimed for my head. Prepared this time, I lifted my hand up and felt the cool metal of his weapon slap into my palm. My feet slide back slightly, the force that he put in this time stronger than the first blow, and a pain burst from his hit, but I ignored it. My fingers wrapped around the tonfa, so he aimed his left one at me. Ducking to avoid it, I shifted, my hand still wrapped tightly around his right tonfa. It forced him to turn with me so that his back now faced the windows once again.

How Dino managed the feat of getting the glowering, bloodthirsty male in front of me to listen and take the medication, I wouldn't know. It was definitely something that I needed to ask him about, but then again, maybe it would be better if I found out for myself. After all, I had been determined to decipher many things about the Vongola Guardian before my arrival in Japan.

It wasn't only just to satisfy her curiosity anymore. I had to admit, upon meeting the Cloud Guardian, there was something intriguing about him. Something inside me wanted to get to know him better, to understand the enigma that nobody else could comprehend.

Spotting a tissue box resting on a bookshelf, I let go of his tonfa and jumped back to avoid a jab to the stomach. Making my way to the shelf, I pulled out a tissue and swiped my cheek to wipe off the blood.

"Hibari," I murmured softly, turning to look at him. My smile was gone, and sombreness crawled onto my face. "They're going to come after you with more power than the others. Soon."

"Ho?" a slight glimmer ignited in his eyes. "Interesting."

And with that, the smile came back. "Of course." And then I muttered quietly to myself, "Why was I worrying again?" I couldn't even answer my own question. I wanted to face-palm myself for even thinking it was necessary to warn him ahead of time. Someone like him, who was so eager to spill blood—really, what had I been thinking?

There was a moment of silence, and then he moved from his spot. Instead of coming at me again, he returned back to his large, black leather chair behind the desk. Picking up the pen with his long, slender fingers, he quickly signed the paper he had been analyzing before I had disrupted him.

"You're not going to try and hit me again?" I questioned curiously, wiping at my cheek again to make sure that even the smudges were rubbed clean.

"Are you so eager to get penalized?" he countered easily, lifting his eyes briefly up from his paperwork to stare at me.

"Mm," was my noncommittal reply, and I smiled slightly as I walked over and picked up the cylindrical container off the floor where it had fallen after hitting my head. I was about to ask him if he wanted to keep it, but I decided not to. If he ever needed them, I'd just hand them over to him. After all, they weren't for me, but they had been made by Iemitsu for Tsuna and his Family. Of course, he said I should feel free to use them, but I wouldn't be the one getting injured by enemy Famiglia.

I wondered if the reason he wasn't continuing his attack was because he had taken the medication, and felt like this was his way of returning his debt? I had been told by Reborn that it was something the prefect hated to have. Although to call it a "debt" was much too serious. Nonetheless, I would be lying if I said I wasn't glad he had decided to spare me for the day. It wasn't as if I was afraid, but it was more like I didn't like such hostility.

"Have you lived your entire life in Namimori?" I unzipped my bag, dropping the container in it, and didn't bother to close it up again. Instead, I sat down tentatively on the couch, wondering if he would get angry. However, he didn't say anything, and he didn't acknowledge my existence. He continued doing his paperwork in silence; the only sounds in the room were our breathing and the sound of his pen gliding along the paper.

I sat there on the couch, watching him as he ignored my presence to the best of his abilities. I could sense his intimidating aura, and I could practically hear his thoughts screaming at me to get out of the reception room and to leave him alone. Yet, if he thought I would back down from him, he was wrong.

Even if I thought that, I didn't say anything aloud. I merely stayed silent, my eyes roaming around the room. The silence was peaceful, but not scary. When my eyes began to feel heavy, I blinked hard and tried to keep them open. After being woken up during the night, I couldn't fall back to sleep even when I had been back in the safety of Tsuna's room, both of the sleeping males completely unaware of what had happened.

Not that anything actually happened.

It was hard to stay awake however, due to the almost rhythmic sound of his name being signed and the soft, steady breaths that fluttered gently between the two of us. Eventually, fighting the sleepiness that overcame me became too difficult, and my eyelids shuttered my eyes before I could stop it.

* * *

><p><em>Shadows.<em>

_They were everywhere. Not one, not two, not five. There were so many of them, slowly coming together and closing in on me. My eyes darted around them frantically, my throat closing up as the shadows held distinctive shapes to them.  
><em>

_Unforgettable...  
><em>

_My throat tightened. "No. No. Stay away!" I took a few steps back, trying to get away from the invading silhouettes in front of me. The only thing I managed to do, though, was bump into something hard, cool, and unbreakable. Jumping up in surprise at the unexpected object, my head snapped back over my shoulder to see what it was.  
><em>

_Unable to help it, my hands began to shake.  
><em>

_They came closer and closer still. There was nobody else around, nobody else to come and make them go away. They would never listen to my pleas, nor would they feel any sympathy.  
><em>

_And just as they were a foot away, I could hear their snickers. Threateningly, menacingly, hatefully, they began to lean forward just a bit more to consume me.  
><em>

_Not again. Please, not again._

* * *

><p>I flew upright. Unable to see due to my blurry vision, I let my eyes fall shut again as I covered my face with both my hands. My breathing was laboured, but there was no sweat that slipped down my face. Instead, I felt ice cold, like all the blood had drained from my body.<p>

Such things... were things I shouldn't be thinking of anymore.

When the haziness in my mind disappeared and my breathing steadied itself, I dragged my hands down from my face roughly, almost angrily. I inhaled deeply, and then let out a loud, strangled sigh. Glancing around, I noticed that I was still in the reception room with—my thought broke off, my eyes widening. I whirled around to see him sitting in his chair, half the stack of paperwork finished.

He had been watching me through narrowed steel-sky eyes. The scowl that was on his face showed that he wasn't in a better mood than before at all.

"I—I'm sorry," I apologized, glancing at the clock that hung on the wall. My voice sounded strange even to my own ears. Surprisingly, even though I felt as if I had been asleep for hours upon days, only twenty minutes had passed. Class would start in five minutes, so I stood up from the couch. I grasped the handles of my schoolbag, and murmured to the prefect, "Hibari, I—" I paused, taking in the way there was nothing giving away his thoughts. "That—it was nothing. Sorry. I'll see you around, since I've got to get to class."

There was still no response from him, but his eyes burned holes into me as I quickly made my way to the door.

All I wanted to do was get out of there.

I slid the door open a bit more forcefully than I normally would've, already halfway out into the hall, before I half-turned to face him again. "Hibari?"

He was silent, but his pen had paused on the sheet he was about to sign, indicating that he was listening.

"Thank you," I told him sincerely, despite glower he sent me. I wasn't sure if I was thanking him for not asking me anything like Tsuna would've, or for not forcing me to stay and try to subtly get me to talk about it, or maybe even both. "It was nice having you for company." Before he could remark on what I said, I had slipped out the door and ran rapidly down the hallway towards my classroom, not wanting to be late. It was only my second day, after all.

But I knew it was just an excuse, because I knew that if I stayed in that room, his perspective eyes would've noticed the slight, slight tremor of my hands.

* * *

><p>Stretching his arms and yawning widely, Tsuna's slightly glazed eyes met mine as I waited at the side of his desk. "Azumi! I forgot to ask at lunch, but where'd you go this morning? You left before I even woke up..."<p>

"I went to speak with Hibari," I replied honestly, beaming at the suddenly terrified brunette. "It was nice."

"I don't know if my ears are deceiving me," Gokudera said as he approached. Furrowing his eyebrows together, his hands were still stuck in the pockets of his pants. "Did I just hear you say your conversation with Hibari was _nice_?"

Yamamoto let out a laugh, languidly stopping beside me. "My, that's definitely a first!"

Slightly surprised, I inquired, "It is?"

Gokudera shot me a strange look. "What's up with that reaction? Did you expect anything different?"

"Kind of," I admitted. At their slightly surprised and incredulous looks, I quickly defended, "I mean, there's got to be _someone_ in the _entire_ school who doesn't think he's a complete and utter jerk, right?"

Even though he had such a bad reputation, surely there were a few people who admired him, right? Or was I just unjustly comparing this world to the mafia world, in which despite the fact that both Xanxus and Squalo yelled often and hit people frequently to vent their anger, they were still respected, admired, and loved? Perhaps it was unfair of me to compare the mindset of the people in the mafia and the train of thought that ordinary students possessed.

"I don't know about _that_," Gokudera mumbled.

After pondering it inside his mind for a short moment, Yamamoto smiled down at me. "I can see where you're coming from, Azumi."

Grinning, I looked up at the much taller male, unable to help but laugh when our eyes met. He followed with his own singing laughter not long after I had started, but we weren't sure what was so funny. Something just _was_.

"Great," the silver-haired male sighed. Rolling his eyes, he slid his hands out of his pockets and brought them up to cross over his chest. "Now we have two cheerful idiots."

"I-I don't really get it, but..." Tsuna shook his head as Yamamoto and I stopped laughing, settling for wide smiles on our faces. "It's nice to know that you two are getting along so well, Yamamoto, Azumi."

Easily, I said, "It's hard not to."

"I shouldn't be surprised," Tsuna sighed with a soft smile. "After all, Yamamoto is so popular. You get along well with just about anyone."

The obsidian-haired baseball player blinked his eyes at Tsuna for a moment, like he wasn't quite sure he understood what was said. But then his lips pulled up into a dazzling smile. "You really think so? Thanks, Tsuna."

"We should head home," Gokudera commented, glancing out the window. "Who knows if the stupid cow drove Basil crazy yet or not."

"Ah! That's right," Tsuna murmured, his eyes widening. "Basil-kun was already over when I came down for breakfast. Was he there when you left, Azumi?"

Shaking my head, I said sadly, "I haven't seen Basil for a long time. He wasn't there when I left, since I had woken up pretty early."

"Is that so?" the future Boss mused, standing up from his seat. "I suppose we _should_ head home... We don't know if anything happened."

"Nothing happened," I reassured him. Already knowing what he was going to ask, I smiled. "It's an instinct."

Gokudera's eye twitched. "Don't say something so important and then say it's an _instinct_, you stupid woman."

Tsuna, too, stared at me with a slightly exasperated look.

"Okay," I admitted with a laugh, "it's not instinct. I got a text from Basil during class saying that everything was still okay."

"Basil-kun did that?" Tsuna inquired.

Nodding, I beamed at them. "So there shouldn't be any need to worry."

Yamamoto glanced at the clock, and then let out a surprised noise. "Ah! I'm late for baseball practice. Sorry, Tsuna. I've got to get going, but if anything happens, give me a call. I'll definitely be there."

"Baseball freak," Gokudera muttered under his breath.

"Okay. Take care, Yamamoto!" Tsuna waved, letting a smile crawl onto his face.

It was sad to watch him go—I found that Yamamoto was probably the Guardian that I would get closest to. We were so similar yet so different, and something about him pulled people in. Perhaps it was his carefree, light personality. Or maybe it was the way he was so kind and friendly, but something about Yamamoto was hard to deny.

Before I even knew what I was saying, his name tumbled out of my lips. "Yamamoto!"

He was halfway out the door, and he turned his head over his shoulder to look at me. "Yeah?"

Feeling the eyes of Tsuna and Gokudera on me also, I felt myself flushing slightly as I asked, "Can I watch your practice?"

"_W-What_?" Tsuna's stammer of shock matched Gokudera's.

Yamamoto stared at me for a moment, his eyes wide and taken aback. However, their warmth never left, and it wasn't long before he laughed and smiled at me. "Of course. C'mon, let's get going."

I beamed at him, relief flooding through me. I had thought for a moment that he would reject the idea entirely. I began walking towards Yamamoto, but I turned to face Tsuna and Gokudera. "Sorry, Tsuna, but do you mind telling Nana I'll be home later? Be careful when going home, you two."

"A-Azumi!" Tsuna half-protested, his eyes showing he was slightly confused. I knew that he was going to ask me about this later on when I got home, and judging by the look on Gokudera's face, he was wondering what was whirling through my mind as well.

I waved at the two of them and I followed Yamamoto out the door. Our footsteps were drowned out by the chattering and laughter of other students. Many people greeted Yamamoto, whom would greet them back enthusiastically, and others would shoot smiles at him, which he returned brilliantly.

Tsuna definitely wasn't lying when he said Yamamoto was popular among everyone.

Some of them shot me curious looks, and I could hear them whispering. Apparently, my name had travelled around the school for being so close to "No-Good Tsuna". It was slightly unnerving to have so many people point and whisper, but I tried to pay no mind to it. I could feel myself flushing, though, under their judging eyes.

"So, Azumi, you're from Italy, right?" Yamamoto started casually, glancing down at me.

Nodding my head, I replied, "Yeah. My dad's Japanese, though."

"Is that so?" He let out a laugh. "That's pretty cool. Do you like it here?"

My nod was more enthusiastic, and I beamed at him. "I love Japan! The food here is so good. The sushi that you might find in Italy doesn't taste the same as the sushi here. I'm going to ask Tsuna someday to take me around to a sushi place."

His eyes widened a tiny bit, before he let out a loud laugh. I stared at him curiously, wondering what was so funny, but then he smiled at me. "In that case, why don't you come over to my place? My dad owns a sushi shop."

My eyes must've been the size of saucers, and I felt like I would drool. "Are you kidding? You can't get my hopes up like that and then just crush them."

Laughing, he shook his head. "No, I'm not lying. I'm serious. So c'mon over, okay?"

"Are you sure?"

"What are you saying?" he laughed again, his eyes kind. "Of course. My dad loves it when I bring friends over. He was really happy when Tsuna and Gokudera came over last time. He'd love to meet you."

"That's so much pressure!" I exclaimed, staring up at him in disbelief. "What happens if I don't make a good impression and your dad hates me? He could ban me from ever going there to eat again!"

Shaking his head in amusement, Yamamoto reassured me, "Don't sweat it so much. It'll be fine—I'm sure my dad will love you, just as he loves Tsuna. My friends are, in a way, his friends."

"You can say that _after_ I eat enough sushi until your entire sushi bar is out of stock," I laughed. "That happened once at a sushi place in Italy. The entire Varia was there, and we all ate so much that, eventually, they ran out of supplies to make all the sushi." It wasn't even an exaggeration. That day had been incredibly fun, and I remembered that I had felt so full that even moving the slightest bit would have me groaning in pain.

Chuckling, Yamamoto didn't seem to take it seriously. "I'll be looking forward to it."

I smiled up at him. "Are you sick of sushi? Since your father owns a sushi place, do you guys eat it often?"

"Nope," he chortled lightly. "My dad doesn't let me touch the food there unless I'm a paying customer like everyone else. We eat it for dinner or lunch sometimes, or he makes it for me as a special treat when he thinks I'm not feeling well, but other than that..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "I love sushi, though. It's my favourite."

"How can you have favourites when it comes to food?" I demanded, mock-scowling at him. "That should be a crime."

He gave me a sheepish look. "Is it a wrong time to say I love milk?"

I made a face. "I hate milk."

"No wonder you're so small," he commented with a laugh. "You could easily be mistaken as an elementary school student."

"Wha—no!" I protested. "You're just too tall!" It wasn't the first time someone had commented on my short stature. It didn't really bother me, because I felt like it made me a smaller target for enemies to hit. Yamamoto towered over me like a giant, though. I didn't doubt that I looked tiny from someone as tall as him.

"Maybe, maybe," he half-agreed, a smile on his face.

Abruptly, as we rounded the corner to head towards the change rooms, I felt someone ram into me. Caught completely off guard, I felt the wind knock out of me as the floor collided with my elbows.

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" a feminine, sweet voice exclaimed, sincerity in every single word. I opened my eyes to see a girl had fallen on her rear not too far away.

Her dark crimson eyes were hidden behind rectangular half-frames that were black and thick. Her skin was the colour of smooth mocha, and wisps of her black hair fell out of her messy bun and into her face. When her eyes met mine, they blinked questioningly.

"Azumi!" Yamamoto exclaimed, extending a hand and offering to help me up. I clasped his hand with my own, and he helped me up effortlessly. My elbows growled at me as they ached, but I ignored it. "Chie," he turned to the girl, offering his hand as well. Her eyes widened, and she flushed delicately before hesitantly taking his hand.

"Y-Yamamoto-kun," she greeted. "Thank you."

"It's fine, it's fine," Yamamoto brushed it off easily, smiling. "More importantly, are the two of you alright?"

"I'm fine," she and I chorused together. We locked eyes, and I laughed.

Straightening myself up, I bowed at her. "I'm Shimizu Azumi. It's nice to meet you."

She rapidly followed my actions. "Michimoto Chie. I've heard many things about you."

"Good things, I hope," I grinned at her. "Sorry about that. I wasn't looking at where I was going."

Shaking her head, more hair fell out of her bun. "No, no! It's my fault. I'm really sorry about that. I hope you're okay."

"I'm fine," I reassured her. "I'm a lot tougher than I look." But if she knew that I had weapons on me right now, she surely wouldn't appreciate it. And if I told her that I was part of an assassination squad, I had no doubt she'd run away screaming for help.

"Why are you in such a rush, Chie?" Yamamoto asked, blinking his wide eyes at her.

"I realized I forgot something important in class," she answered. Glancing at me, and then at Yamamoto, she said, "I should go. It's really important, so, I—" she paused, already running down the hall. "I've got to. See you!"

Yamamoto and I watched her as she ran swiftly away, sharing confused looks with one another when she rounded the corner and out of our sights. Eventually, we began walking towards the change rooms again.

"I think you and Chie would get along," Yamamoto mused aloud.

"She seems nice," I answered with a smile. "She's really cute, too."

"She's the president of the Student Council," he informed me, laughing when he saw the surprised look on my face. "She gets a lot of things done. It's why she always looks like she's so busy and in such a rush. When you get to know her though, she's really kind."

Nodding my head in agreement to what he said, our footsteps slowed to a halt when we reached the change rooms for males. "I'll wait for you out here."

"Sorry," he said as he opened the door. "I won't take too long." Then he slipped himself inside, and the door fell shut behind him.

As I waited for him to finish changing into his practice clothing, I wondered briefly why the Mist Guardian didn't attend Nami Middle. In a way, I supposed that I understood, but it was also puzzling. It almost seemed like she didn't want to be around with everyone, just like Hibari.

At that thought, my mind travelled to the detached Cloud Guardian. I had no doubt he was patrolling the school right now. And if he wasn't patrolling, then he was surely finishing up his paperwork or taking a nap somewhere. He was a strange one—his love for the school was so deep, and yet, I couldn't understand why.

Instantly, my mind flashed to something in particular that had happened at this school years ago. I could feel my eyebrows rising as I thought about it deeply—would _that_ be the reason why he was so emotionally attached to this place?

I'd definitely need to ask him about it sooner or later. There was no way that she wouldn't destroy me if I didn't find out for her. It was something that she'd definitely want to know, no matter what the answer was like. If the reason why he was so attached to the school was the same one as what I had in mind... I let out a soft laugh, unable to help it. I could imagine her face if that was the case.

Even though some people would rather have the storm pass by as quickly as possible, I had to admit that I was quite content with the calm before it. Although I understood that some people just wanted to get it over with, as to get rid of their anxiety, I had faith in Tsuna and them. There was no way they'd lose.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Yamamoto apologized as the door swung open lightly. He stepped out, dressed in casual and thin clothes that allowed movement without too much restraint.

Shaking my head, I replied, "Don't worry about it. We should hurry—what happens if your teammates are angry at you for being late?"

"It's fine, it's fine," he dismissed carelessly.

I wasn't listening to what he said, though, and I broke out into a run. It wasn't long before I heard his laughter, and his fast footsteps as he followed me. I slammed into the door that led outside, the sound loud and echoing, and began running towards the baseball field. I could see numerous bodies out on the field already, and I picked up my pace.

Yamamoto was only a step behind me now, and we shared amused looks with one another. It wasn't long before we caught the attention of the members on the team, who had all stopped and watched as we bolted right towards them.

It was a silent agreement that we would stop when reaching the middle of the field. The taller baseball player had no problem skidding gracefully and skilfully to a halt, but I didn't have such luck. There was a large rock covered by the packed dirt floor, causing an unexpected bump that prevented a smooth stop like I had intended. Losing my balance, I prepared to stretch my hands out to prevent my fall, since I felt like falling twice on my elbows in one day would be a bit too much. To my surprise, a large, warm hand shot out and gripped my arm, pulling me back. I stumbled, crashing into a broad chest. Another hand rested on my shoulder, steadying me.

I looked up at Yamamoto gratefully. "Thank you so much."

"You sure seem clumsy, Azumi," he laughed.

"I'm not," I told him unconvincingly.

He grinned. "You okay?"

Nodding, I said, "Yeah, I am."

"That's good," he chuckled. Making sure that I was steady and had regained my equilibrium, he released me and stepped back. I stared up at the Rain Guardian, who surprisingly hadn't even broken a sweat. Years of training had me in tip-top shape, and even I would've been a bit tired after that. The fact that Yamamoto didn't even look the slightest bit exhausted was amazing. After all, we were going pretty fast. His reflexes had been immensely quick as well. I could definitely see what Reborn was saying when he had called Yamamoto a naturally born hitman.

He sounded completely genuine as he said, "That was a good warm up."

"That wasn't fair," I reminded him. "You have longer legs than I do."

"It was a race?" he asked innocently, laughing at the look on my face. I joined him soon after, and he turned to his teammates. "Sorry I'm late, guys."

"Yamamoto!" A guy slung his arms around the onyx-haired male, raising his eyebrows. "Why are you late?"

"There better be a good reason," the brunette with the pitcher's glove said.

The rest of his team chorused, "Yeah!"

Sheepishly, Yamamoto grinned at them. "Sorry, sorry! I just lost track of time. It won't happen again."

"That's what you said last time," two of them complained in unison, approaching us. They raised their eyebrows at me and one of them asked, "Who are you?"

Yamamoto answered before I could. "She's my friend, Shimizu Azumi. She wanted to watch our practice today, so..."

Bowing, I added, "It's nice to meet everyone. I hope that it's okay if I watch... And I'm sorry for keeping Yamamoto. It's my fault he's late." Which was partially true. Although it would've been weird to include Tsuna and Gokudera's name along with mine, which was really the reason why I had left them out. It was strange though, because I didn't want them to have any bizarre ideas on what I did to keep Yamamoto for so long.

"I've never seen you around before," a guy with light brown hair observed. "Are you new?"

Nodding my head, I replied, "Today's my second day."

"Yamamoto, you better be treating her nicely," a guy hollered from near the back. The entire team laughed, and I couldn't help but join in—it was hard to imagine Yamamoto _not_ treating anyone nicely, and it was obvious they knew so, too.

"I'll be up on the bleachers watching," I told Yamamoto. "Work hard, Yamamoto!"

"Yeah!" he agreed determinedly, turning to his members, who handed him a bat.

I turned around and began heading towards the bleachers that lined the outside of the field for when we had home games. I climbed all the way up to the top row, since I had developed a love for being in tall places. It soothed me somehow. I would always climb up trees when I was younger—I still did—and just sat there if I was feeling nervous or upset. It always helped relieve those symptoms, even if it was only by a bit.

Watching the baseball team practice was fun. Smiles would dance across my lips often, and I would laugh out loud whenever they jokingly insulted one another's abilities. They were amazing, to say the least. Yamamoto in particular was extremely good at baseball—I understood why people constantly called him a baseball prodigy.

When I glanced around, I noticed a figure standing behind a window of a classroom. I blinked and squinted, trying to see who it was. She shifted slightly, removing herself from the shadows for a brief moment, and my eyes caught the dark hair and red eyes.

Michimoto Chie was watching the practice with a longing look on her face. Almost as if sensing my eyes on her, the ruby orbs darted up to meet my sapphire ones, and she instantly recoiled. Hastily, she moved away from the window and disappeared from my line of vision.

Confused, I continued to stare at the place she had just been. Had I scared her off? She looked so surprised to see me, I wondered if it was unusual for people to watch the baseball team's practices.

My train of thought was broken, however, when I felt something brush against my hand. Surprised, my head whipped down to look at what it was. My eyes widened as they saw a familiar baby bird, its feathers soft and a fragile shade of yellow. He had settled himself right next to my hand, his delicate feathers brushing along my skin. I could feel his mild warmth transferring from his petite body to me as well.

My lips tugged upwards and I said quietly, "Hi there."

He turned his head to look at me, his dark eyes meeting mine. Instead of saying anything, he spread his wings, flying upwards. I thought he was going to go back to his owner, but instead, his small feet gently gripped onto my shoulder, and he rested himself there.

"Do you like baseball?" I inquired, though I wasn't expecting an answer. "It's nice to be able to work in a team. Even though in Varia we would always be at each other's throats, we would still have everyone's backs. You should convince him that being with the Family isn't a bad thing. Do you think you can?"

Like any other bird, he didn't respond to what I had asked him.

Letting out a soft sigh, I asked, "Do you think I can get along with him?"

"Hibari!" Hibird chirped suddenly, making me blink at him in surprise. This time, when he unfurled his wings, the tips lightly brushed against my cheek, and he lightly jumped off my shoulder, his wings moving to keep him in the air. "Hibari!" he exclaimed again, and he circled around me once before flying high and farther away. I watched the little bird soar towards the rooftop, where a figure was leaning on the wired fencing to observe the practice that was occurring below.

Hibird perched onto Hibari's shoulder, but the prefect made no move to indicate he acknowledged Hibird's presence. Even though we were so far apart, I was sure his eyes were a stormy blue-grey, and I smiled at him, waving my arm.

Like I expected, he ignored it. Rather than returning the gesture, he whirled around, the unoccupied sleeves of his Disciplinary Committee jacket flowing out behind him as he walked away.

Watching his retreating back, I decided that I would definitely be coming to school early from now on.

* * *

><p>When Yamamoto came out of the change room with his school bag in his hands, he smiled down at me. Looking over his shoulder, he called out, "See you guys tomorrow!"<p>

His team chimed their goodbyes, some offering some extra comments while others laughed.

"What do you think?" he questioned as we began walking towards the exit of the school. His light brown eyes were still bright and excited from practice, his entire physique relaxed despite the work he had put it through.

"It looks fun," I answered honestly, smiling. "Your team seems to work so well together. I loved watching."

"Is that so?" he laughed. "Everyone on the team treats each other the same, no matter what year you're in."

Nodding, I commented, "Almost like a family, right?"

Yamamoto paused for a moment, and we passed by the black gates of the school. The sky only had a slight orange twinge to it, since it was only starting to go down. The days were dragging out longer, and despite it being almost six in the evening, the weather was still warm and comfortable.

"In a way," he said, a thoughtful look on his face. "I've been with them for a long time. When I'm with Tsuna, I feel like we're family too, even though I haven't known him for nearly that long."

"I understand." An affectionate tone appeared in my voice. "Tsuna's just someone that people gravitate to eventually. Once you get to know him well enough, it's hard to break away from his magnetism. You don't see his natural charisma until you've been around him long enough."

Yamamoto chuckled, "Yeah. When did you first meet Tsuna?"

"I met Tsuna when I was four." Memories of that day, although blurry and unclear, still held some parts that I could never forget. He had looked so timid, so shy, but the look in his eyes was the same as the look in them now. "I would only stay for a few weeks, maybe a month or two at most, but then I'd leave again."

Hearing the underlying dejectedness in my tone, Yamamoto slung an arm around my shoulders. "Cheer up! You're here now, right? Let's make the best of it!"

His optimism made me smile. "Yeah, you're right."

"Now _that's _the spirit," his teeth flashed widely. I stopped at the intersection of the road, knowing that Yamamoto didn't live the same way as Tsuna. He looked at me strangely, however, and asked, "What's wrong?"

I blinked at him, perplexed. "Aren't we going to part here?"

"Well, I live in another direction," he stated, "but I'm walking you home."

"I—what?" Touched at his concern, I could only stare at the sword-wielding male in front of me in complete and utter astonishment. Didn't he understand that it was completely unnecessary and that he'd be wasting his time? "But I'm part of—"

"Varia, right?" he let out a laugh. "That doesn't change the fact that it's dangerous."

Shaking my head, I insisted, "It's fine, Yamamoto. I don't want to burden you with it. I can take care of myself."

"It's fine, it's fine," he replied easily, his smooth tone smiling like his eyes. "It's really not a burden if I want to do it, right?"

"But—" I stopped myself from arguing further. He must've seen the resigned look on my face, because he laughed and began heading in the direction of Tsuna's house. I followed after him, falling in pace with the pacifying male.

It was silent between us for a moment as we walked. Some noises could be heard from the inside of houses—a mother scolding her child, a baby crying, kids laughing. It was around time for dinner, and I felt guilty that he was taking longer to get home and eat. He was probably starving after having practiced for so long and hard.

Attempting to make conversation, I asked, "Are you always so nice to everyone, Yamamoto?"

His eyes shifted towards me, and he let out a small laugh. "I don't really know. I don't try to be—it's just that I've been brought up to treat people the way I want to be treated."

"I see," I murmured softly. "Thanks for always looking out for Tsuna, Yamamoto."

"Where's that coming from?" he chortled. "If anything, Tsuna looks after me."

A smile crawled onto my face. "Well, nonetheless. It's nice to know that Tsuna has so many reliable people around him now. It doesn't change the fact I wasn't there for him before, but... it reassures me. I feel like if I leave again, it won't be as bad as it was the past few times because he has everyone around him now."

Yamamoto didn't say anything until we got to the front of the Sawada household, and I was too absorbed in my own thoughts to say anything to break the stillness that seemed to have rested in between us.

The lights were on, spilling out from the glass windows through cracks in the blinds. I could hear laughter from inside that came from Lambo, followed by loud noises. It was definitely a rowdy household, but it felt so welcoming.

"Thank you for walking me home," I told him, opening up the gate. "Sorry for this. I'm sure that you're tired and hungry."

"Nah," he replied. "Azumi—you're not going anywhere, right?"

I blinked at him. I would have no idea when I would leave again. Whenever I was summoned, that was when I would leave. As a member of Varia and of Vongola, I didn't get to _choose_ when I left to do my job or how long I got to stay. I did as I was told, whether I wanted to or not.

The thought of leaving Namimori again made sadness wash over me, but I tried my best not to show it. I knew that, without a doubt, I would be sent back to Italy at some point. After all, as close as I was with Tsuna, I wasn't one of his Guardians. I had no right to continue to linger with them, putting myself with them, because I wasn't part of their group. They would spend their lives together as a Family, but it wasn't something I was part of.

But I couldn't tell Yamamoto that.

So I smiled at him, and said, "Not that I know of."

He grinned at me, "That's what I thought. I'll see you tomorrow at school, alright?"

"Yeah," I nodded, and waved at him as he began heading back the way we had come. When his back vanished out of my line of vision, I climbed my way up the porch steps of the noisy house, taking the keys Nana had given me out of my book bag and opening up the door. The moment I did, a delicious aroma wafted towards me, and I could feel my stomach jumping in excitement.

"Ah!" I heard Fuuta exclaim, his voice muffled slightly. "I think I heard the door open. It must be Azumi-nee!" Sure enough, just as I had closed the door behind me and finished slipping off my shoes, the light-haired boy appeared with two infants accompanying him. "Welcome home!"

"I'm back," I answered, smiling affectionately at the young boy. Fuuta was too sweet and innocent to not love. Everything about him just broke you down and made you unable to have any negative feelings towards him.

"Welcome home!" I-Pin exclaimed.

"Alalala," Lambo sang loudly. He clung onto one of my legs. "_Azumi_," he stretched my name out, "you were gone for so long! Even Tsuna came back before you did and Tsuna's a slow-poke. Where did you go? Lambo-san was waiting to play with you!"

Smiling, I lifted Lambo up so that our eyes were level with one another. "Sorry, Lambo." I rested my forehead against his lightly. "I'll play with you later, okay? Don't you want to eat Nana's cooking?"

He looked away haughtily. "You _better_ play with Lambo-san after. After all, you're my henchman!"

"Of course," I didn't hesitate to say, although I wasn't quite sure where he had gotten the idea I was his henchmen. "I promise to play with you after dinner. Until then, be good, okay?"

"Lambo-san is _always_ a good boy," Lambo frowned at me. "Did you hit your head, Azumi? Don't you know? Lambo-san never causes trouble."

"Lambo," Tsuna's slightly scolding voice sighed. "Before you start arguing with Azumi, at least let her into the living room or something."

Lambo turned his head, his wild hair hitting me in the face. I could hear Fuuta and I-Pin let out small chuckles, and I joined in. Lambo, however, didn't know what was so funny. "Don't blame Lambo-san, Tsuna! It isn't Lambo-san's fault! And why is everyone laughing? Lambo-san wants to know what's so funny, too!"

"Welcome home, Azumi," Nana stepped out of the kitchen and greeted me with a bright smile. "You're back just in time. I just finished making dinner. Come, let's all eat while the food is still warm."

Lambo wiggled out of my grip, exclaiming about how he was going to eat so much his stomach was going to be bloated, and he ran into the kitchen with I-Pin, trailing after Nana with drool hanging slightly from his lips. Excitement and energy bubbled around him.

"Let's eat, Azumi-nee, Tsuna-nii," Fuuta smiled. I returned the gesture, and Tsuna and I followed Fuuta back into the kitchen, where everyone was seated already. My childhood friend gave me a look, telling me that I definitely wasn't getting away with what happened with Yamamoto, though nothing necessarily happened anyways.

I smiled at him as we took out seats next to one another.

The rest of the night, to say the least, was extremely loud and entertaining.

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><p><strong>A  N : **

HAHA, that concludes the third chapter. Ahmygosh, I died when I was writing this. WENBOWEBPEM. I've keyboard spammed my friend so often when trying to get this to my liking. Holy.

I wonder if you guys are picking up the hints I'm leaving. And if not, well- Er. NOW YOU KNOW. (: They're in there. Somewhere... xD

Lots of love and thanks to;

**MoonlitNite, Jaesun Michele, 10th Squad 3rd Seat, DrummerForTheMasses, Tsukuda Sumiko, and Youknowwhothisis**

You guys are more than just a little bit awesome for reviewing for me! (:

Well, there are some reviewers that Imma address so... Read if you want, but if not, then you can skip this section. BUT, I MEAN, IF YOU SEE YOUR NAME BOLDED, THEN... YEAH. READ. Er, if you want to hear what I've got to say. xD

To** MoonlitNite;**

HAHA. Well, to each their own, right? (: I designed Azumi's character and personality with a specific sort of image in mind, and I don't think I'm going to change it. I didn't want Azumi to be like Riku. I wanted to explore a different kind of personality with this new story, but it's not like Azumi's all rainbows and sunshine xD There's just nothing for her to be serious about right now, you know? I mean, like- nothing's really even going on... She has a reason for acting the way she does =P Even if she annoys you, I hope you'll still continue to support this story (: And sorry- I mean, it's never pleasant to read about characters that annoy you. HAHA. Thanks for your review, and I hope that Azumi will grow on you ;D

To** Jaesun Michele;**

I don't think you should be thanking me for replying to your review, but rather I should be thanking you for reviewing at all. XD And thank you- I'm happy to know that I'm changing your mind about Azumi. It's relieving. xD You have absolutely _no_idea how touched and grateful-and happy-that you offered to beta this story for me, but I'm really sorry ): I tend not to get people to beta, simply because I feel like it's unfair they get to read the chapter before everyone else. It sounds stupid, but that's just the way I think. And my friend reads it over for me-albeit she does it quickly since she's loaded with homework-so... BUT AHMYGOD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OFFER! I'm so delighted that you want to help out with the story, but simply knowing that you're reading and reviewing, as well as enjoying this, is more than enough for me. (: I'm really sorry, though, that I'm turning it down. ): And I really mean no offense. Thank you for reviewing for the second chapter!

To **Tsukuda Sumiko;**

I'M TRYING TO UPDATE EVERY WEEK FOR THIS STORY AND IT'S KINDA KILLING ME. But I'm still having so much fun with it. LOL. I feel almost like this is a guilty pleasure. -SOBS- Thank you for reviewing all the time for me! Man, a few days passed and I realized I didn't see your review in my inbox yet and I was like, "EBOEWBMEOWB, AM I NOT GONNA GET A REVIEW FROM HER?" ( Er, I'm assuming you're a girl, and if not, I'M SO SORRY. OTL. I DON'T THINK IT SAYS ON YOUR PROFILE. ESNOBNWEOBEW. ) I realized at that point that I've started to look for your name when reading my reviews... -SHOT- I'm glad that you disagreed about the Mary-Sue thing, and yeah, I know it seems like it at first. xD You'll see a lot more of her character later on, so... (: AND I'M GLAD YOU LIKE HER. Ahmygod. I always grow emotionally attached to my characters, so I'm happy when people like them. LOL. To be honest, I considered making her one of those secret Guardian people, but... I changed my mind. It didn't seem right to me, and I couldn't really think of a legit reason as to why she'd be special compared to everyone else. Thanks again for reviewing!

And that's all this time. HAHA. Sorry- holy shit, it's like a _wall_of text. ;_;

I'm really grateful to each and every single person that reviews, but I felt like I needed to respond to those reviewers. Thanks a bunch to everyone else, and I _have_read what you've written! (:

Hmm, what else should I say...?

AH. Right! If you guys have any criticism, then feel free to say so! I take everything; compliments, suggestions, and if you _really_feel like you have to do it, flames. Whatever floats your boat, eh? Maybe I'll learn something from it.

But anyways.

Thanks for the support and for reading!

I hope that you guys will continue to **_please review_**. It's what pumps me up to write and get you the next chapter before, like, five months pass... HAHA. So, yeah- please review if you have anything you want to say or want me to know! (: I'd deeply appreciate it. It keeps the story going. ;D

See you guys next week ( I hope. ESNBOEWNEOWB. )

Ja ne,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	4. Discussions

**Disclaimer : No, I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! All rights go solely to Amano Akira.**

**A/N :**

Hey thereeeeeee. I finally finished this, so I'm gonna spare you guys a long rant. xD

Thank you, as always, for your support! (:

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FOUR;<strong>

_"Discussions"_

* * *

><p>"My, are you going to school early again, Azu-chan?" Nana questioned as I entered the kitchen, already dressed in the Nami Middle uniform. She took in how my red bowtie was neat and my dark navy blue sweater-vest was over my white dress shirt. I had my long, white socks pulled up to my knees like always, the dark skirt just ending an inch or two above the end of the white material. My schoolbag was in my hands, and I set it down on the floor next to the chair I occupied at the table.<p>

Nodding my head, I confirmed her thoughts. "Yes. I think I'll be going early for a while, actually."

"Is that so?" She blinked her eyes at me. "Is there any specific reason?"

"My friend always goes to school early," I replied honestly, noticing how Fuuta, Lambo, and I-Pin weren't at the table. "I've decided to go early as well to keep him company."

Her smile was wide, her eyes lighting up. "Ah, so you've already made close friends! That's wonderful, Azu-chan. I'll prepare your breakfast quickly so that your friend won't be lonely and waiting for you."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that Hibari wouldn't even be the slightest bit glad if he saw me. If he had heard either Nana or I calling him my "friend", he would surely bite us all to death without mercy. After all, we weren't exactly friends. I wouldn't say that we were complete and utter strangers either, but I had a feeling he would disagree.

Reborn peered at me over the rim of his mug. "Is this how you plan to win him over?"

"Do you think it'll work?" I answered with a question of my own, looking at the Arcobaleno hopefully.

"Maybe," Reborn replied vaguely, something that he did often.

"He's interesting." I ran a hand through my loose gold hair, not having bothered with tying it up this morning. "At first, I was surprised that she even remembered him, but..." I shook my head. "He's completely different from the way she described."

Knowing exactly who I was referring to, Reborn stared at me. "Does she plan to visit here sometime soon to directly acquaint herself with him?"

I pondered the possibility of that happening, but I found that I wasn't quite sure. "I don't know. It's possible, but at the same time, it doesn't seem very likely. The last time I saw her, she was extremely busy with her own missions."

"Are you doing this for her?" Reborn asked seriously, quietly. His lips formed an upside down crescent. The disapproval was clear in his tone.

My stomach clenched uncomfortably, and my hands absentmindedly curled into tight fists. My lips thinned into a line, and I met his gaze with one of my own. I knew that Reborn was looking out for me, because if he wasn't, he wouldn't have even asked a question like that one. But nonetheless, I could feel myself getting defensive over it—I felt like he was almost accusing me of it.

"Partially," I sighed, trying to calm the instincts in myself. I reminded myself that there was no point in getting mad at Reborn. He was only trying to help, and getting angry at him wouldn't do anything but spark even more intense arguments.

It was silent between the two of us for a while. Reborn sat drinking his coffee, his eyes shielded by the large brim of his fedora. I watched him hesitantly, my muscles slightly tensed, as if I was bracing myself for an attack.

When he looked up at me, his lips had formed unexpected half-smirk. "I see."

Confusion settled onto my face as I gazed at the strongest hitman. I had been expecting a kick to the face, or maybe a harsh slap on my hand, or _some _sort of violence. After all, I knew that he disapproved greatly. Yet, I hadn't been expecting such a look. It made me feel uneasy, like he knew something that I didn't. My stomach clenched involuntarily in dreadful anticipation.

Before I could ask him what he was smirking about, Nana placed my breakfast in front of me and smiled warmly at me. "Here, Azu-chan! Dig in. There's a lot more if you want seconds!"

"Thank you," I smiled. "Where are Fuuta, Lambo, and I-Pin? Usually they're awake whenever they smell Nana's cooking."

"They're sleeping," Nana updated me. Her chocolate eyes were sparkling, "After all the fun you guys had yesterday night, I'm not surprised that they're all so worn out."

I let out a laugh, my mind rewinding back to yesterday night, when we had spent hours and hours playing with one another. It was definitely a tiring night, no doubt, but it had also been incredibly fun. Tsuna had fallen asleep before his head had even hit the pillow that night, after having been dragged into our wild games.

When I had finished my breakfast and arrived at Nami Middle, I had slid open the door that led to the reception room, only to be met with the sight of an empty room. There was no paperwork stacked onto the large dark desk, and the window was closed and drawn, almost as if nobody had entered the room at all.

Was he patrolling?

Shaking my head, I doubted that he was walking around looking for nonexistent hooligans that would wreck the school. I closed the door and made my way to the nearest staircase that led all the way up to the uppermost floor. When I got to the top floor, I found the stairway that led up to the rooftop, climbing up the steps slowly. When I grasped the handle and pulled the door open, I was met with a familiar sight.

He was so incredibly vulnerable, lying on the concrete pavement of the rooftop. His hair fell onto his closed eyelids, and I noticed how he had changed his school uniform. Instead of the sleek black jacket, he had replaced it with a dark navy blue sweater-vest, just like the rest of the students. He had a blue tie around his neck, and his armband was attached to a sleeve of his white dress shirt. Hibird was circling the rooftop, softly singing the Nami Middle anthem. He stopped when he saw me, however, and merely stayed in the same spot watching me.

I made sure to close the door softly behind me, and I approached the sleeping figure. Letting out a small sigh—he clearly hadn't been listening when I had told him he could catch a cold—I plopped down onto the pavement next to him. I didn't plan on waking the prefect up, since I didn't want to feel his wrath, but I wasn't going to just leave, either.

Opening my bag, I took out homework that I hadn't completed the previous night due to the events that had followed after dinner. I wasn't incredibly smart—definitely not a genius like Bel, nor was I like Gokudera, who was able to get perfect on all my subjects, but I definitely wasn't super horrible in my studies either. My math teacher would get angry if I didn't complete my homework though, so I prepared to finish the unanswered questions.

Only... I could feel Hibird's eyes watching me. It broke my concentration, not allowing me to focus, so I looked up after answering the first question that had almost made my brain explode in confusion. Extending a hand out with my index finger up, I offered an encouraging smile to the canary. At first, Hibird didn't come, as if wary. However, when I started softly singing the words of the school anthem, it was like a light had been ignited in the small animal. It began to chirp the words with me, flying and landing on my finger.

I let out a small laugh. I brought him up to my shoulder, and as if sensing I needed my hand, he obediently moved to rest on my shoulder instead. I hummed along with the small bird as I did my homework, occasionally stopping to pet the tamed animal.

I had just finished solving the last question of my homework and had packed up when Hibird jumped off of my shoulder and landed on Hibari's chest, waddling up until the animal was on the knot of his tie, close to his chin. He lightly rubbed his head against the sleeping male's skin, "Hibari!"

"You must love Hibari a lot," I commented quietly, not wanting to wake the unpredictable obsidian-haired Guardian up. The smile on my face could be heard in my voice as I added, "And from the looks of it, Hibari really loves you, too."

Hibird paused in his nuzzling of Hibari's chin to look up at me. "Hibari!" Then he turned back to the unconscious male, staring for a few moments.

"Come here," I urged the bird, reaching my hand out. "What happens if you wake him up? He must not have slept well if he's taking a nap, so we shouldn't disturb him."

Just as Hibird was about to climb up into my hand, a larger hand slapped mine away. Hibird enthusiastically attached himself to a long, slender finger.

"What do you think you're doing, herbivore?" Hibari asked coldly, slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position.

"Hibari, Hibari!" Hibird sang happily, the smile in his voice.

I let out a small laugh. "Good morning, Hibari."

"Answer my question." He slid his clear, sharp silver-cobalt eyes to me, his voice lacking the thickness it should from someone who had just woken up.

"I was finishing up my homework," I answered honestly. Meeting his gaze squarely, I added, "And _you _weren't really asleep." I should've known that the Cloud Guardian was an incredibly light sleeper. Judging from the way he had acted unconscious so well on my first day, I shouldn't have been fooled yet again.

"With a presence as irritating as yours within a fifty meter radius, I don't see how my sleep wouldn't be disturbed," he deadpanned.

"I don't understand why you pretended to be asleep." I tilted my head, "Were you waiting to see if I'd kill you in your sleep? Take advantage of you?" The thought of taking advantage of _Hibari Kyoya _had a snicker threatening to leave my lips, but I held it back and settled for a barely-contained smile. It was such an impossible thing to imagine—Hibari definitely wasn't the type to be taken advantage of.

A smirk played slightly on his lips. "Ho? I'd like to see you try."

"Maybe I'll take you up on that offer another day," I smiled at him, not wanting to start fighting one another. "Why do you sleep on the rooftop? The reception room's couch seems a lot more comfortable. And besides, even if it rains, you wouldn't get soaked while napping there."

"It's not of your concern," the prefect responded coolly.

"Of course it is," I objected. "We're friends, right?" Even though I had told myself that he wouldn't appreciate hearing that from me this morning while eating breakfast, it had slipped out before I had even registered I was going to say it. I was hardly prepared for the reaction that he presented me.

In a flash, he had slammed me against the concrete floor. His tonfa pressed hard against my throat, making it hard to breathe, and his upper body loomed over mine. Even though he stared at me with menacing eyes, I couldn't feel any fear in my body. Despite not wanting to face Hibari's wrath, it didn't mean I was afraid of it. Varia presented much, much more frightening experiences that scarred people for life.

"Do not," he started dangerously, "group me with you."

I returned his gaze, unfazed. "Even if you don't consider me your friend, that doesn't mean I think the way you do." I swallowed, the movement caused by my throat forcing the tonfa to press even more roughly against the skin. "And even if you deny it, you're part of Tsuna's Family as the Cloud Guardian."

"That title disgusts me," he stated. "Associate it with me once more, and this tonfa will do more than tear your neck, herbivore."

"Hibari," I started softly, "What's wrong with being in a Family? I know that you don't like crowds, but... why?"

His eyes narrowed, and his voice was threateningly smooth. "I'm under no obligation to answer."

"It's not as bad as you might think," I continued quietly, sincerely. "It's nice and reassuring to know that you have comrades with you. That, if you somehow screw up, they'd have your back. Having friends doesn't mean you're bound."

"I don't need such useless things," he replied. His figure was tense and rigid. I had definitely hit some sort of nerve in the upperclassman, and I wondered if I should push him into a corner. But looking in his eyes, I decided that it wouldn't be a wise idea. Especially not when he had the advantage in this situation.

Instead, I sighed at him and glanced away from his penetrating eyes. "I think you're lucky. Ever since I was younger, I've known that Tsuna was a possible candidate for Vongola the Tenth. I've always wanted to be in his Family as one of his Guardians. When I found out that I wasn't meant to be part of his Family, I was disappointed. I mean, I'm glad that you all found each other and everything, but..." I trailed off, not wanting to continue that sentence. I wasn't even sure I knew _how_to complete it.

"I'm not interested in your life story," he commented blandly. "Unless you're saying you'll fight me for the Guardian position."

I shook my head with a laugh, his tonfa digging into my throat and causing me to wince slightly at the pain. "I'm not fit to be the Cloud Guardian."

Abruptly, before any more words could be exchanged between us, the door of the rooftop swung open, and a tall male with a regent hairstyle created from dark black tresses appeared. He had a long, but extremely thin twig protruding from his closed lips that were pulled downwards slightly. He wore the black jacket given to the Disciplinary Committee, though he had worn it properly with the buttons up and done; opposed to the way Hibari often wore his.

"Hibari-san!"

"What do you want?"

"I'm afraid there might be some trouble near the entrance to the school," he reported. "It appears as if someone has started a fight with our members."

Hibari's stance eased up and relaxed, an amused look lighting up his eyes. "Ho? It's as if he's begging to be bitten to death."

Taking advantage of the way he was no longer ramming his tonfa down on me, I pried it off of me swiftly and stood up hastily. I swiped my schoolbag off the floor and smiled down at the grey-blue eyed Discipline Committee Chairman. "Sorry, Hibari, but class is going to start soon, and I can't be late. It was really nice speaking with you—I'll see you later!" I hurried towards the rooftop door, twirling around the taller male. I bowed to him politely as I felt my back hit the rooftop door, my hand already reaching behind me to open it. Remembering my manners, I introduced, "I'm Shimizu Azumi, it's nice meeting you!"

I heard his muffled introduction through the closed door as I slipped inside without having waited for his response.

My footsteps were fast as I made my way down the stairs and when I didn't hear his angry footsteps chasing after me, I slowed down to a normal pace. My hand reached up to rub my pained throat, wondering if it was going to bruise.

* * *

><p>"Where are you going?" Gokudera questioned as I stood up from my seat after having finished cleaning up my bento.<p>

"I'm going to get a drink," I told them with a smile. "Do any of you guys want anything?"

Shaking his head, Gokudera replied, "Don't need anything."

"I've already got a drink, but thanks." Yamamoto grinned at me, lifting up his carton of milk. I rolled my eyes at him good-naturedly; the effect ruined by the way my smile only stretched wider.

"It's okay," Tsuna responded. "But thanks, Azumi."

"Don't mention it," I replied. "I'll be back in a bit." I weaved my way through the clusters of students who were enjoying lunch with their friends, a lot of them laughing and joking around with one another. There were some that were exclaiming in surprise at some gossip, while others were shouting out answers to the English homework that would be collected right after lunch.

Slipping out the half-opened door, I manoeuvred through standing bodies and outstretched legs, careful not to bump into people who had food in their hands just in case they'd spill it everywhere. I had almost reached the vending machine when, suddenly, silence fell upon everyone in the halls.

Bewildered at the sudden lack of chatter and laughter, I tried to find the source of the silence. It wasn't hard to—after all, students had automatically parted off to the sides, trying to seep into the walls themselves to make room for a certain tonfa-wielding male.

It was so quiet as he stared down at the female on the floor that if a pin had dropped, the sound would've been thunderous.

Papers were scattered everywhere, and one sheet had landed on her head. Many covered her body, but I saw the smooth milk chocolate skin and the dark onyx hair. "I-I'm so sorry!" she stammered, her fear evident in her tone.

Seeing Hibari open his mouth to speak, I quickly interrupted before he could threaten the poor girl. I had no idea what would come out of the Guardian's mouth, but I was almost a hundred percent sure he'd say something like his usual catchphrase, and I didn't want to see anyone bursting into tears. With a smile, I slid in between Hibari and girl, extending a hand to help her up as I said, "It's you again! Are you alright?"

Her eyes widened as she tilted her head to look up at me, surprise plastered on her features. The paper slipped off her head, revealing the messy up-do her hair was in. She was obviously expecting the strong baritone voice of the prefect. "I-I—yes," she answered. Instead of taking my hand, she hastily began to pick up her documents.

I glanced at Hibari briefly, seeing the dark look on his face, and knelt down to help her.

"Y-You don't have to," she said shakily.

"No, don't worry about it," I reassured her with a small laugh.

"What're you doing?" Hibari's eerily calm voice carried to everyone's ears, and I saw many people flinch away, wanting to vanish into another place. I wasn't surprised—Hibari was definitely a scary individual indeed.

I finished gathering the papers and handed them to her before I turned around and beamed at him. "Helping out. Have you had lunch yet, Hibari?"

His eyes glowered at me fiercely. "It's always you, Shimizu Azumi." I realized it was the first time he had spoken my name ever since I had met him, and the recognition only made my smile wider. I couldn't decide how I felt about it—it was hard to give an unbiased view on it, with the hateful way he had said it.

"Before you hit me," I murmured softly, taking a step closer to the prefect, "think about where we are. You're going to harm innocent students." And as an afterthought, I added, "And you're going to break down the walls."

He remained silent, turning my words over in his head. The resentful aura, instead of diminishing a bit, flared up insanely. If looks could kill, his eyes portrayed that I would have a very agonizing death.

I knew I had won, because as cold and as merciless as Hibari was, he was dedicated to discipline. He punished those that did things against the rules and—occasionally—those that annoyed him, but he never harmed an innocent student for no apparent reason, which was what he'd be doing if he engaged himself in a fight with me in a crowded hallway full of mere bystanders. Not to mention I had no doubt he'd be destroying the walls and windows here and there.

"You shall receive punishment later," he declared before stepping away from me and continuing down the hall. "And to those of you who are crowding, disperse before I bite you to death."

Many eyes followed his retreating back, remaining silent until he had disappeared around the corner, before their eyes switched to stare at me. I blinked at him, my head tilting to the side slightly in an inaudible question that none of them answered, before I figured I'd ignored them.

"Here, let me help you," I offered, taking half of her enormous stack of papers.

"N-No, it's okay!" she protested. "I can take them to the Student Council's room on my own!"

Shaking my head, I smiled at her. "It'd be bothersome for you if you bumped into someone else on your way there, right? It's fine, really. I want to help."

"But I'm sure you're busy," she nervously said. "Your friends must all be waiting for you to go back."

"They won't mind," I assured the crimson-eyed girl. "The Student Council's room should be on the first floor, right?" I began towards a staircase, feeling many eyes still glued to me. I could also hear them muttering and whispering, but I tried my best not to pay attention to whatever they were saying. I was curious, but I wasn't enthusiastic about hearing what horrible things they might say.

Eventually, Chie's footsteps fell into step with mine. "Thank you, Shimizu-san."

"Azumi," I corrected her. "And what are you saying thanks for?"

"For what you did back there," she whispered, her voice still slightly quaking. "Hibari-san is very frightening."

"Do you think so?"

She nodded her head, voicing aloud her opinion, "Yes. Many people do." She paused, glancing at me as I pondered about it. "Do you disagree?"

"I don't know." My voice was laced with genuineness. "I have many thoughts on Hibari, but I don't think you'd want to listen to all of it."

"That's not true," she denied. "I'm sure that I'll find your judgment on Hibari-san intriguing."

A smile was on my face as I looked at her square in the eye as we stopped in front of the Student Council room. "But that's the thing, Chie. That's exactly something I'm trying _not _to do—pass judgment on him." Switching the topic, I opened up the door to the room, the cool air hitting me suddenly, and I inquired, "Where do you want me to put the papers?"

"Over here is fine," she answered, hurrying over to a mahogany desk. It was messy with a lot of scattered books and pens, some sticky-notes clinging to the polished wood while crumpled balls of paper littered all over the desk and even on the floor around it. Seeing my stare, she blushed. "It's not usually like this."

Shaking my head, I laughed. "Don't worry. I'm a really messy person myself, actually. I can completely understand why it's like this. Keeping things organized and neat just isn't something that I can handle. I might clean up my desk or my room, but it doesn't even take a day for it to be in complete disarray again."

A giggle escaped her lips. "To be honest, that happens with me, too."

"It drives my brother crazy," I sighed wistfully, thinking about my older brother. I wondered how he was doing—was he eating well, sleeping well, and laughing a lot? I never contacted him, because I had no idea whether or not he was busy.

"You have a brother?" she blinked her eyes behind her glasses, interest tainting her tinkling soprano tone.

Nodding my head in response, I returned the question back at her. "Do you have any siblings?"

"No," she said with a sigh. "I'm an only child. I've always wanted siblings, though. It seems less lonely. You get to grow up with people around you—it seems lovely."

"It is," I agreed, trying to sound wholehearted. "Even though sometimes it's not as pleasant—especially when there's a disagreement. Having to see them around all the time isn't the best during those moments."

"Probably not," she chortled. Her eyes were bright as she asked, "Since you were with Yamamoto-kun, I'm guessing you're a second year?"

"You aren't?" Surprise coloured my voice as I regarded her. She was much taller than I was—but then again, with my short build, I wasn't surprised. She was slender, but she definitely had curves in all the right places. I felt slightly envious, since I certainly couldn't match up to someone with a womanly physique like that.

She let out a small giggle, the sound very sweet and feminine. "I'm a third year, actually. You sound so surprised."

"It—It's just," I stammered, my eyes wide. "You seem so shy... And Hibari seems to scare you so much, I just assumed that it was because you weren't used to it."

"I'm not," she confirmed with a small smile. "I transferred late last year. I haven't gotten used to Hibari-san's intimidating presence yet."

"Oh, really? I see," I mused. "Where did you transfer from?"

"I'm originally from Tokyo, actually," she smiled sheepishly at me. "I kind of miss it, but at the same time, I really love how it's so peaceful here at Namimori, too."

I ran a hand through my long hair, and smiled at her brightly. "I know _exactly _what you mean."

"You transferred recently as well, didn't you?"

"From Italy," I affirmed, my eyes scanning the room. It was pretty messy overall, with things scattered everywhere. Posters of past school-related events were hung up on the wall, and there were a lot of cabinets. The colours of the walls were similar to the rest of the school, the large windows over on one side overlooking the oval track.

"I heard that it's breathtaking there," she mentioned, a longing look playing along her soft features.

"It is," I let out a slight sigh. "But then again, everywhere is breathtaking—it just depends on your perspective, right?"

Her eyes shifted to meet mine, and she let out a laugh. "I suppose so. How are you liking Nami Middle so far?"

"It's great. Everyone's really kind, and it's really fun," I expressed, clasping my hands together behind my back as I rocked back on my heels absentmindedly. "Maybe it's just because I haven't met anyone unpleasant yet, but Nami Middle needs to be full of caring people. I love the lively atmosphere here—it reminds me of how it is back home."

"If you're with Yamamoto-kun, then that must mean that you're also with..." she paused, wracking her brain for the names she was looking for. "Sawada-kun and Gokudera-kun?"

"Yup! Tsuna's like a brother to me, and Gokudera might seem rough, but he's very kind. Yamamoto as well—his cheerfulness is contagious. Ryohei is also very enthusiastic. When everyone's together, we have a lot of fun."

Or at least that was how I felt.

Her next words had me momentarily stunned. "What about Hibari-san?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but then I shut it again when I realized I didn't know how to respond. Perhaps it was because I wasn't sure what she was initially asking me in the first place—what _about _Hibari? But I didn't want to ask her to clarify because I was worried she'd think I wasn't listening, and instead, I began hesitantly, "Hibari? Well, he doesn't like crowds, so he's not with the group very often. He's not completely horrible company, either—in fact, I rather enjoy his presence. It's very comforting."

Chie's jaw dropped slightly. "I think that's the first time I've ever heard someone call Hibari-san's aura _comforting_."

I wanted to tell her that it was comforting because he was immensely strong, so it gave everyone a sense of security that he wouldn't let us all die if a situation arose, but I knew that I couldn't. Keeping what I thought inside my mind, I let out a small chuckle. "It's really hard to explain."

"I can imagine why." She released her hair from the elastic band she had been using, her long and wavy ebony hair tumbling past her shoulders. She ran her hands through the smooth tresses before gathering them in her hands again, twisting it up into a new, neater bun than before.

The warning bell signifying the nearing end of lunch resounded overhead, and she and I both looked at each other.

"You should hurry before you're late," she suggested. I noticed how she was no longer stuttering. Hibari must terrify the life out of the poor girl if she was that shaken up at the sight of him.

"I should," I agreed. Stretching my lips up into a smile, I said, "It's been really nice speaking with you, Chie. If you ever need any help, please feel free to come and find me, okay? I'd love to help you. I think we'll become great friends."

Her face flushed delicately. "I think so, too. Thank you so much, Azumi-chan. I really appreciate it. If I feel like I need help, I'll have to take you up on that offer."

"Feel free to," I encouraged. "I'll catch you later, alright? Good luck with your work!" I waved at her, a gesture that she returned with a kind smile, before I made my way out the door and towards my classroom.

Spotting a familiar face heading in the direction I was coming from, I greeted him earnestly. "Good afternoon, Hibari! I hope you had a good lunch."

He, like I expected, ignored me and passed me by without even the slightest bit of interest.

Not deterred by his uncaring attitude, the smile was still intact as I entered the classroom again.

"You idiotic woman!" Gokudera growled as he spotted me coming through the door. He stood up from where he had been sitting, slamming his hands down on his desk. "Where were you? Taking a drink doesn't take the entire lunch! The Tenth was worried about you!"

"G-Gokudera-kun," Tsuna murmured, tugging slightly at the back of the silver-haired male.

"Now, now," Yamamoto smiled as he saw me. "It's all good, isn't it? Azumi came back safely, so it should be fine. There's no need to get so angry, Gokudera."

Tsuna looked at me through concerned eyes. "What happened, Azumi? We were expecting you to come back ages ago."

"I bumped into the Student Council President," I relayed to them. "I was helping her out, and then we just started talking. I'm sorry that I had you worried, Tsuna, Yamamoto, Gokudera."

Scoffing, Gokudera crossed his arms and turned away from me. "Who said I was worried?"

"Don't be like that, Gokudera," Yamamoto chided lightly, laughter spilling from his lips. His brown eyes met mine. "It's glad to know you're fine."

"Wah," Tsuna whined mildly. "To think that we were worked up over it..."

"Sorry, Tsuna," I repeated, smiling at him sheepishly.

"Alright, everyone! Take your seats! Class is about to begin."

I glanced over my shoulder to see the female English teacher at the front of the room, and I smiled apologetically at the brunette and emerald-orbed male before following Yamamoto to our respective seats, preparing for another long lecture.

* * *

><p>"It's definitely strange," Gokudera's lips pressed together into a thin line. "It's been three days, and nothing's happened yet."<p>

"Maybe they're waiting for the right moment to strike," Basil proposed. The blond-brunette had been over last night for dinner, and we had our delighted reunion then. He was currently, like the rest of us, in Tsuna's room talking about the situation that we were all in together. Or, perhaps, _lack _of a situation might have been a better word for it.

A thoughtful hum escaped me. "It's possible. I mean, they would be waiting for us to let our guard down, thinking that they aren't going to attack and that it was a false alarm, before they charge in."

"Possible," Gokudera approved, "but not very likely."

"You heard the rumour a week ago, right, Azumi?" Tsuna changed his attention to me. When I nodded my head in response, he leaned back on his palms. "Normally, we would've found them out by now..."

"Nobody in particular acts strange," Yamamoto pointed out.

"The baseball freak is right," Gokudera sighed, frustrated. "The enemy isn't making any sort of sign or signal that they're here, wanting to fight us. It's almost as if we're waiting for invisible enemies to come."

"They need to come out of hiding and face us like _real _men," Ryohei's eyes burned passionately. "All this waiting is making me stressed out to the extreme!"

Basil's tone was pensive. "Is it possible that they've given up?"

"We haven't even fought yet!" Gokudera exclaimed.

"Maybe they decided they had better things to do," Yamamoto smiled lightly. I had no doubt that his mind was wandering over to his baseball bat, which was resting against the wall at the foot of Tsuna's bed.

Shaking my head, I remarked, "For something as precious as the Vongola rings... There's hardly anything that tops that priority."

"They're plotting something," Gokudera muttered lowly, his eyes hardening. "Something big."

It was unfortunate that I had the exact same feeling as Gokudera. It was a very unsettling feeling as well—almost as if what we had in mind couldn't even be compared to what was actually awaiting us.

"Why don't we just go and look for where they're hiding?" Ryohei complained. He scratched the back of his head in a way to relieve his irritation—something that I was sure we all shared with one another at the moment.

"That would take too long," Tsuna answered, letting out a sigh. "And even if we do, it's possible that we could pass right by them and not know it. There's nothing given to us about the way they look."

"Oi, Azumi," Ryohei addressed me. "Did your Boss say anything more about it? Send more information? We need everything we can get, to the extreme!"

My expression was remorseful. "No. There's been nothing given to me from Varia _or_ from Vongola Headquarters. It's not because they don't want to help, but because there's nothing they can give us _to _help."

And not to mention Xanxus wouldn't want to help Tsuna even if it meant he'd face the Ninth's wrath—as well as mine—afterwards.

"How much longer will we have to wait?" Impatience leaked into Gokudera's silky, gruff voice. "I want to teach them how big of a mistake it is for them to mess with the Tenth."

"There's nothing we can do _but _wait, Gokudera-dono." The dark azure-eyed CEDEF member had a tolerant look on his face.

"And don't let your guards down."

All six pairs of eyes flitted to the infant, taking the way his eyes were still open, yet his chest fell and rose with deep, steady breaths. He snored lightly, causing most of us to let out tortured groans upon realizing he was still sleeping.

"How can he sleep during such an important talk?" Tsuna half-complained, half-sighed.

"There's really not much to talk about," I bit down on my lower lip. "But we should definitely do what Reborn said—even if he was talking in his sleep."

Basil nodded his head firmly. "I agree with Reborn-dono and Shimizu-dono. Even though we may not feel like there's a threat, letting our guards down could lead to a deadly occurrence."

"You don't need to tell me that," Gokudera responded, his eyes fluttering towards the window cautiously before sliding back to the rest of us. He definitely had his guard up—the fact that Gokudera was incredibly worried for Tsuna's wellbeing was shown to the entire world.

"I got it," Yamamoto assured, his smile small, but still apparent.

"The day you catch me without my guard up is the day you'd be deemed worthy of joining the boxing club!" Ryohei's large hands clenched into fists, one of which he pumped into the air. He then did a few quick jabs, as if to prove his boxing abilities.

Leaning slightly against my childhood friend, I worriedly said, "You need to keep your guard up too, Tsuna."

"I know," he answered quietly. He gave me a small smile. "Thanks for worrying. I'll try my best to be ready for anything."

"That's the spirit, Tenth!" Gokudera enthused, his frowning lips tilting upwards into something much more pleasant to look at.

"Octopus Head is right! We need to be looking on the bright side of things!" Ryohei said loudly, bobbing his head up and down in agreement.

"I never said we had to look at things _positively, _Turf Head!" Gokudera objected. "We need to look at things from a realistic and strategic perspective!"  
>Ryohei frowned. "I don't understand it when you put it that way, Octopus Head. The way you explain things is confusing to the extreme!"<p>

We all laughed at the bickering duo, our solemn conversation regarding the attackers pushed into the backs of our minds.

* * *

><p><strong>AN :**

And that's the end of the fourth chapter. AHMYGOD, GUYS. I was killing myself when I was editing thing, 'cause I was wondering whether or not "should've" and "what're" are real words. Spell check on this thing says that it's not, but I always thought they are. And the people I've asked said so, too. I DON'T EVEN KNOW. Does anyone want to clarify for that for me? OTL. I'll love you for the rest of my life.

Hopefully, nobody was too OOC in this chapter! (:

Even though I said I'd update every week... Man, it hasn't even been three weeks yet and I'm already not keeping up with the schedule. -SHOT-

Lots of love and thanks to;

**Youknowwhothisis, Tsukuda Sumiko, and 10th Squad 3rd Seat**

You guys are more than just awesome for it, and I've noticed that all three of you guys have reviewed for all chapters up until this one. I hope that you'll continue to support me by reading and reviewing! (:

I'm also extremely thankful to those of you who alerted and favourited! You guys rock my socks. ;D

To **_Tsukuda_****_Sumiko_**, I think that I'll PM you my response to your review. HAHA. So look forward to it! I plan to write it right after I update (: Thanks a lot for reviewing, by the way! s2

Okay, Imma be honest right here. I have no idea when I'm going to get the next chapter up. LOL. I'm still aiming for next week, but I have no idea. But I really actually _do_write faster the more reviews I get, 'cause then I know that people are actually reading my stuff.

This is me subtly hinting at you guys to please review. LOL. Am I sly or what? ;D

BUT YEAH. _**Please review**_, you guys! I don't want to lose my enthusiasm and end up updating every, like, five months. OTL.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and that you guys will continue to support me! I'll hopefully see you guys soon! ;D

Ja ne,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	5. Compensation

**Disclaimer : Nope, I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**

**A/N :**

I'm so surprised this didn't take me longer. Maybe it's 'cause I spent an entire day writing it and beating myself up about it, but nonetheless. HAHA.

I was dying a bit when I wrote this chapter. Holy- I'm not even going to say more than that. Just holy. ;_;

Like always, thank you guys for your support! It makes me so happy to know there are people who enjoy reading this story (:

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FIVE;<strong>

_"Compensation"_

* * *

><p>"Tsuna," I lightly shook the male, taking in the way he had one arm slung over his stomach and the other sprawled above his head. His legs were tangled with his blanket, his hair a dishevelled mess.<p>

"Five more minutes, Mom," he groaned sleepily, rolling over onto his side.

I let out a laugh, "Tsuna, it's me, Azumi. It's time to wake up."

"_Azumi_," he moaned, sounding like he was in pain. "Why are you waking me up at this time? It's not even time to wake up yet..."

"There's something I want to do," I chimed, shaking his shoulder once more. "Please, Tsuna?"

"So why are you waking _me_up?" he mumbled, pressing his face further into his pillow. He swatted my hand away—a sleepy Tsuna wasn't as restrained and confined as an awake Tsuna.

"It's something I want the two of us to do together." I pulled him so that he was resting on his back again, his face free from the material of his pillow. I pinched both of his cheeks lightly. "Tsuna."

He let out a loud, discontent groan. "Fine, fine, I'm getting up!" I removed my hands and stepped farther away from the bed, allowing him to sleepily swing his legs over the side. He sat slouching there for a moment, his eyes tired and glossy, before letting out a soft yawn and getting up.

Reborn, thankfully, hadn't been woken from his slumber despite the noise we made. It was something I was glad for, since I've heard that when Reborn got woken up for unreasonable things, he was grumpy.

Smiling happily, I informed the male, "I'll be downstairs in the kitchen."

He made a noncommittal sound that I took as an agreement, and he grabbed his Nami Middle uniform, trudging behind me as I exited his room. I turned to descend down the staircase while he dragged himself to the washroom across from his room, preparing for another day.

"Do you have everything you need, Azu-chan?" Nana set down my breakfast in front of me.

I nodded my head. "I managed to get Tsuna up, too. He should be down soon."

"My!" Nana's eyes widened. "You got Tsu-kun up already?"

A laugh left my lips. "It took a while, though. He looked like a zombie when he started making his way to the bathroom."

"Well, I'm not surprised," she washed her hands in the sink, drying them on a towel that was draped on the handle of the oven. "You're up even earlier than usual."

"I have something I want to do before I go see my friend." I picked up the chopsticks and said my thanks before digging in to the meal she provided me.

"Lambo-san is so sleepy," Lambo yawned as he stumbled into the room, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. "Mama... Food..."

A dainty giggle left Nana's lips. "Yes, yes, Lambo-kun!"

Lambo came up to me, and I placed my chopsticks down onto the table to free my hands. I easily gathered the infant into my arms, settling him on my lap. He still looked half asleep, leaning against me and yawning.

"Azumi, Azumi, Azumi..."

"Yes, Lambo?" I glanced down at him, offering him a piece of fish. He gladly took it, almost chopping down on my chopsticks in the process.

He didn't bothering swallowing before saying, "Today, Lambo-san's going to beat Reborn. You have to watch. Lambo-san's finally going to take Reborn seriously and fight him!"

I bit down on my lower lip, trying to keep my laughter from coming forth. I didn't want to discourage the infant, but the thought of Lambo defeating Reborn was definitely a scene to imagine. "I'll definitely watch, Lambo." To make sure you aren't completely roasted afterwards. "Do your best!"

He let out a loud laugh. "Ahaha! So Azumi thinks Lambo-san is stronger than Reborn after all?"

I couldn't bring it in me to tell him the truth, but lying seemed just as bad. "Mm, well, I think Lambo is pretty strong."

"That's right!" he boasted, his head held high. He grinned toothily, "You know what, Azumi? Lambo-san's going to give you a position as my good assistant. You have to work for the great Lambo-san one day, okay?"

"Thank you for the offer, Lambo," I smiled at him, though I didn't answer his question. Switching the topic, I looked around. "Where's I-Pin and Fuuta, Lambo?"

"I-Pin here!" a small figure ran into the kitchen, clad in her usual red outfit. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, I-Pin," Nana and I beamed in unison.

Lambo let out a loud laugh, pointing his figure at I-Pin. "I-Pin, you slow-poke! Lambo-san got down here faster than you by a million times! Lambo-san's the best. You've got a long way to go!"

A frown pulled at I-Pin's lips. "I-Pin not slow! Lambo cheated!"

"No, no, no," Lambo shook his head frantically, some items falling out of his hair. Thankfully, it was all candy wrappers or some small pieces of wrapped sweets instead of unpinned grenades. "Lambo-san never cheats! I-Pin's just being a sore loser!"

"Lambo, you dropped a lot of stuff," I told the little boy clad in a cow suit. I picked up the pieces of uneaten candy, and dropped them into his outstretched hands. He stuffed them back into his hair carelessly, and I smiled gently at I-Pin's upset face. "Come here, I-Pin."

She looked up at me for a moment before coming towards me. I made sure to keep Lambo secure as I picked I-Pin up, letting her sit next to Lambo. They turned away from each other, both unhappy with one another.

"I-Pin," I started, "did you sleep well?"

"No," she answered, her lips thin. "Lambo snores."

"Lambo-san does _not_!" Lambo denied instantly. He whirled to face I-Pin, his face set into a fierce look.

Turning to face him as well, I-Pin argued, "Yes, Lambo does!"

Breaking into their argument, I tried my best to change the topic. "Ah—I-Pin, I wanted to go shopping this weekend. Would you like to come along?"

"Shopping with Azumi?" she repeated. When I smiled at her, she smiled back and nodded her head. "Yes! I-Pin wants."

"How about Lambo-san?" Lambo complained, tugging on my hair. "Lambo-san wants to come along, too!"

A sweet, slightly reprimanding tenor voice interrupted. "You can't, Lambo. You promised you'd help Mama with grocery shopping this weekend."

"Fuuta!" Lambo shouted. "Why did you bring that up? Lambo-san wants to go shopping with Azumi!"

"But Mama will make snacks for you after you help her," I pointed out to the jade-eyed infant. "It'll be your reward for helping. Besides, I-Pin and I are going to be doing girly things. I don't think you'll like it, Lambo."

Lambo pouted. "But Lambo-san won't be able to play with I-Pin."

"We can play together, Lambo," Fuuta reminded him, taking a seat next to me. He smiled brightly. "Good morning, Azumi-nee."

"Good morning, Fuuta," I greeted with a smile. Switching my attention back to Lambo, I comforted him, "I won't keep I-Pin with me for too long. I promise I'll bring her back, and then you guys can play together again, okay?"

"If you don't, Lambo-san's going to get really angry," Lambo huffed, crossing his arms. Apparently his quarrel with I-Pin was already forgotten.

Nana placed the freshly-made breakfast dishes on the table. "Lambo-kun, I-Pin-chan, Fuuta-kun, dig in!"

Lambo jumped out of my arms and took his respective seat, not even a second's worth of hesitation hindering him as he began to devour his food.

"Xiexie," I-Pin thanked before looking up at me. I released her, and she gracefully took her spot.

"Thanks for the meal," Fuuta said before picking up his chopsticks and eating his meal with care.

It was that moment that Tsuna came into the room, his eyes still droopy and his hair still a bit messier than usual. His tie was sloppy, his back slouched and his schoolbag dragging on the floor. "'Morning."

"My, Tsu-kun! Good morning! I already prepared your breakfast," Nana absolutely beamed at him.

"Thanks, Mom," Tsuna mumbled, falling into his seat.

"You're sure up early today, Tsuna-nii," Fuuta observed after swallowing what he had in his mouth.

Lambo let out a lively guffaw. "Tsuna, you look like a mess! Your hair is sticking up just like a chicken's butt!"

"Lambo!" I-Pin admonished.

Tsuna let out a low groan. "Because Azumi woke me up so early..."

"Sorry, Tsuna," I apologized, giving him a slight tilt of my lips. "But I really wanted to do this with you."

"I know," he sighed, eating mouthfuls of rice. "What is it that you want to do, anyways?"

"You'll see." Since I had finished my meal, I cleaned up and brought it over to the sink, turning on the tap. I washed my dishes while Nana dried them and placed them back where they belonged.

When Tsuna and I finally left the Sawada household, we didn't turn in the direction towards the school. Instead, I took another route to a specific place that I needed to drop by.

"Where are we going, Azumi?" Tsuna half-whined, half-inquired, following me.

"You'll find out soon enough," I reassured the spiky chestnut-haired successor. Silence kissed both of us as we continued walking, our footsteps deafening in the calm of the morning. The weather was definitely getting warmer; almost to the point where it was hot, signifying that summer was approaching. I wondered briefly if I would have to travel back to Italy during the summer break.

The quiet didn't last long though, as Tsuna tentatively broke it. "Hey, Azumi?"

His tone of voice instantly made me look at him. "What is it, Tsuna?"

"When..." he paused, swallowing. "When did you find out about how I was a candidate for the Vongola's Tenth Boss?"

"When I was four," I recalled. "It was right before we left Italy to come to Japan. Iemitsu mentioned it to me, but at that age, I didn't really understand what he was saying. I was just really confused."

He didn't say anything for a moment, reflecting on what I had said. "And then all those other times you came after?"

"When I was old enough to realize it, I was surprised," I truthfully answered. "You've always been so kind, Tsuna. You don't like getting hurt, nor do you like hurting others. You were always made fun of by others that didn't know you well. I remember I had thought_, 'Tsuna_? But Tsuna isn't fit to be a Boss'."

"I'm not," he admitted, though he didn't sound crestfallen. Rather, he sounded quite relieved. "But Reborn thinks that I should become the Tenth Vongola Boss, and he's so adamant on it! I keep telling him that it's just not who I am. I'm a regular middle school student!"

Shaking my head, I murmured, "You can't think like that, Tsuna. You don't understand—there's a _reason_why Reborn thinks you're suitable. Why Iemitsu and the Ninth both decided you'd be the successor."

"What do you mean?"

"Tsuna." I stopped, and his footsteps halted as well. I stared at him seriously, and his eyes widened slightly at the look on my face. "You're not different from everyone else in the sense that you don't see yourself clearly. If only I could show you how others perceive you, Tsuna."

His eyebrows knitted together slightly. "Azumi, I—"

"Back then, I had thought there was no way you'd be a good Boss," I began walking again, my hands gripping onto the straps of my schoolbag behind me. "But that was back then. Things are different now. Lots of things have changed."

"Azumi..." he spoke lowly, his expression unsmiling, but not grimacing.

I ended my footsteps in front of a flower shop, forcing Tsuna to stop as well. I glanced at the bouquets that were available and on display, wondering if I should buy a big one or a small one.

"A... flower shop?" Confusion tainted Tsuna's voice.

"Tsuna, do you remember?" I lightly brushed the tips of my fingers along a lily's delicate, soft petal. "We did this too, the last time I came."

He still had a look of bewilderment on his face, but as I continued looking at the flowers, he let out a surprised noise. "That's right—Berry!"

A small laugh burst from my lips, and I nodded at him. "What did I get her last time I visited? It was roses, right?"

He scratched the back of his head, "I think so."

"Let's go with lilies this time," I suggested. "What do you think?"

"W-Well..." Tsuna gave it some thought. "White lilies and some cherry blossoms, I think."

My smile was glowing as I nodded my head at him. "I think she'd like that. Come on, let's go inside."

When we entered the modest flower shop, we were instantly surrounded by a floral aroma. I loved the smell—it didn't smell too sweet, nor too artificial. I'd always thought that flowers had a refreshing scent to them. It was soothing and calming.

A middle-aged lady with dark hair and grey eyes glanced up from the flowers she had been tending to. "Welcome! How may I help you?"

Smiling at her friendly tone, I stated, "We'd like a medium-sized bouquet with white lilies, please. And cherry blossoms."

Nodding her head, the florist began to walk around to where the flowers were held, skilfully taking them. "You two sure are young," she commented. "It's very early. Is there someone special these are for?"

"Our friend," Tsuna answered. I'm sure that his mind, like mine, flashed to the sleek black fur and the stunning topaz eyes of our little friend.

"They must be quite something," she laughed softly. She rearranged the flowers tastefully and showed us. "Is this alright?"

"It's beautiful," I told her with a smile.

Her lips quirked upwards, and she travelled behind the counter. She handed me the flowers, "Do you mind holding this for a second, darling?" When I carefully had them in my hands, she questioned, "What colour would you like the bouquet covering and ribbon to be?"

"Tsuna?" my eyes darted to the taller male, allowing him to choose.

He stared at me with a look that made him seem like he was a deer caught in headlights, his eyes screaming at me to help. When I didn't offer any assistance however, he turned back to the lady who had a raised, amused eyebrow. "E-Er..."

"How about a translucent white to match the lilies," the stormy-eyed woman recommended, "and a light pink ribbon to match the cherry blossoms?"

Tsuna's head bobbed up and down. "That sounds good."

"Alright then," she laughed. She pulled out the necessary plastic sheet and cut a long strip of pink ribbon before reaching for the flowers again. I handed them to her cautiously, and she placed them on the plastic wrapping before expertly rolling it into a bouquet. She ripped some pieces of tape off the holder with one hand, making sure that the end was securely taped. She then tied the ribbon around it.

Tsuna and I both watched her as she showed us the final product.

"Do you like it?" she grinned at us.

"It's perfect," I beamed at her, taking it from her hands. There weren't too many flowers in it, and the bouquet's design flared to provide enough room for the large petals of the lilies. "Thank you so much."

Shaking her head, she said, "Don't sweat it, sweetheart."

"How much will it be?" I unzipped my schoolbag, taking out my wallet.

"I'll give you a discount," she laughed. "It's lovely to see that youngsters these days are still this thoughtful. How about ten dollars?"

Tsuna's shock was apparent. "Are you sure?"

"Definitely," the lady was grinning at us vibrantly.

"Thank you so much!" Tsuna and I exclaimed simultaneously.

She waved a hand dismissively, her eyes warm. We handed her the money, and then said our thanks once more before leaving the shop, beginning our trek to our next destination.

"She's so nice," I commented, letting out a light laugh.

"She is," Tsuna agreed with a smile.

As our feet carried us to where we needed to go, Tsuna didn't ask me anything about being a Boss anymore. Instead, he questioned, "So Azumi—you were in Varia the last time you came over?"

A smile appeared on my face. "Yeah. I had just returned from my first mission with Kazuki and Squalo. When Iemtisu heard I had returned, he urged me to come along with him again, like I always did. After I made sure it was okay with Xanxus, I left with Iemitsu."

"How... how is it?" Tsuna asked nervously.

"It's fun," I laughed, trying to ease his worries and concerns. "I know that you don't have a very high opinion of them—and you're not wrong. What Xanxus did to the Ninth is unforgivable." My voice was solemn now. "But in Varia, no matter how horrible we treat one another, we have a deep understanding that if one of us is in trouble, someone will be there to cover for us. Do you know how you and your Family is, Tsuna?"

Tsuna shook his head. "They aren't my Family—they're my friends."

"They're your Family," I corrected, ignoring his sound of objection. "Well—the way it is for you guys is like how it is for us in Varia. We know that we can rely on one another. We're there for each other when it really counts, because no matter what, we're still a part of Vongola. And the Vongola never abandon their comrades."

"It didn't seem that way to me," Tsuna's voice hardened. "The fact that Xanxus did that to the Ninth..."

"I don't understand Xanxus very well," I confessed, my lips pulling into a grimace. "And I'm not going to defend him for what he did. However, I think that to Xanxus, what he did was his way of showing how much he wanted to be like the Ninth—how highly he regards the current Boss."

Incredulously, Tsuna countered, "By using him as a weapon?"

"He felt that getting to succeed the Ninth is something incredible and honourable," I reminded Tsuna. "And he was furious that the Ninth didn't choose him. He wanted to do it, Tsuna. He wanted to follow his father's footsteps."

"But that doesn't change what he did," Tsuna's voice was dark. "It doesn't make what he did right."

"I never said it did," I soothed him softly. "I'm just trying to see it in a non-biased point of view." My hands tightened along the bouquet, my eyes tightening. Both our figures were rigid and tense, the subject we were talking about bringing a monster of distasteful feelings.

We were almost at our destination when, suddenly, an elegant black gate with intricate designs opened up and a familiar person stepped out onto the pavement a few meters in front of us. My eyes widened as I saw him, and almost as if he sensed us, Hibari's head turned in our direction.

"H-Hibari-san!" Tsuna's former strength disappeared as he caught sight of the prefect.

"Good morning, Hibari!" I greeted enthusiastically, my teeth flashing.

He didn't respond, but his eyes flickered down to the bundle of flowers that I held in my hands.

"They're for a friend," I told him as we reached where he stood. I glanced up at the house he had emerged from, and I almost choked. It wasn't even considered a _house_. It was absolutely enormous. The elegance and exquisiteness that radiated from it surrounded the household. The beauty it held was undeniable, and it was definitely luxurious. It had a traditional Japanese look to it, further emphasizing the sophistication it held.

"Y-You _live_here, Hibari-san?" Tsuna was in awe.

"It's beautiful," I breathed, wide-eyed. I didn't remember seeing this house the last time I had visited—had it just been built recently? It was no wonder that everything looked so new and polished. Even though it was a traditional Japanese house, it still had a modernized look to it somehow, though I couldn't pinpoint what exactly made it look that way.

"What are you herbivores doing around here?" Hibari overlooked our astonishment and the way we fawned over the building.

Snapping out of my daze, I held up the bouquet slightly. "We're visiting our friend. We're actually almost there—it's just a little further up."

"There are no houses in that area," Hibari's voice was matter-of-fact. "Whoever told you the address was playing a joke on you."

Shaking his head, Tsuna let out a small, sheepish laugh. "Actually, she doesn't live in a house in this area."

"She used to live with us," I murmured. "She was a kitten—she couldn't have been more than two or three weeks old, but we found her at the park one day when we were playing there. There was nobody around, and her parents were gone, so we took her home."

"We had so much fun playing with her," Tsuna reminisced, a small smile playing on his lips. "We had her for two weeks, and then..." he trailed off.

Neither Tsuna nor I said anything, both of us not wanting to relive the way she had passed away. It had been absolutely brutal—she had ran away while we were playing outside with her, and though we had chased her and called for her to stop, she hadn't. She had ran out into the road just as a truck had been passing by and—I shook my head, trying to get rid of my train of thought.

"Will you come with us, Hibari?" I offered, my lips pulling up into a small smile.

"My path to school is that way," he responded indifferently, but there was something in his eyes that made my stomach coil.

"Okay," I hummed. My eyes landed on Hibird, who was sitting on Hibari's shoulder comfortably, looking very content.

The three of us walked in silence, with Hibari more than just one or two steps behind us. Perhaps he felt like three people together were still considered a crowd, but nonetheless, I was glad he wasn't threatening to bite us all to death. I could tell from the relieved expression on Tsuna's face that he, too, was grateful that Hibari decided to spare us.

Eventually, we stopped at a certain lamppost along the large, busy highway. A few people were walking along the streets, shooting us curious looks, but we ignored it. I glanced at Tsuna, who looked back at me with a soft, encouraging smile, and I felt my lips tilt upwards in appreciation.

Placing the bouquet carefully down on the pavement next to the lamppost, I said, "I'm back again, Berry." Since Tsuna and I had been so young when we found her, that was the best name the two of us could've come up with.

"We hope you're doing well," Tsuna continued awkwardly, obviously not used to talking to someone who wouldn't talk back.

"Sorry that it's been so long," I sighed.

"And I'm sorry for not visiting as often as I should," Tsuna added, rubbing his hand on the back of his head. "It's just..." he trailed off.

Quirking an eyebrow at him, I laughed. "It just doesn't feel right without the two of us here to do it."

"Yes! That's what I meant," Tsuna nodded.

"We hope you like the flowers," I murmured. "Tsuna and I picked them out together this time, instead of the last time we came."

Tsuna gave me a look. "Azumi!"

I let out a laugh, "Sorry, sorry, but it's true." Addressing the nonexistent kitten, I said, "As you can see, Tsuna and I are still getting along really well. We miss you."

Before we could continue, there was a yelp of surprise that had our eyes darting up to see what had happened. A little girl had tripped and fallen on the floor, the bags she had been carrying flying everywhere. The groceries that were in those bags scattered all over the pavement, some rolling out onto the road, where cars ran over them and rendered them dirty and broken.

My horrified eyes only widened more when an adult male didn't help her up, despite having seen her predicament.

I rushed towards her. "Are you okay?" When I reached her, she had already pushed herself up onto her palms and knees, her head still bowed.

When she lifted her wide eyes to meet mine, I couldn't help but notice how the skin on her cheek had been scraped, the skin having ripped completely off to expose the raw flesh underneath. Blood trickled out of her wound.

"Y-Yes," she stammered in a high, shaking voice.

Shaking my head, I crouched down and helped her up and off of her palms. When she removed her hands, there were spots of blood imprinted on the pavement. Lightly, I flipped her hands over to view her palms—they were in no better shape than her cheek. "It's going to get infected if you don't wash it as soon as possible," I murmured, taking in the way dirt and grime clung to the wound as crimson liquid flowed thinly, but surely, out of it.

Tsuna came up beside me after he finished gathering all the groceries he could save. He took a look at her and exclaimed, "We need to get you to the nearest place with medical supplies!"

"N-No," she shook her head. "It's okay. My older sister says not to t-talk to strangers." Her vivid, wide emerald eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"But you're hurt," Tsuna protested. "We can't just leave you like this."

I smiled softly at her. "It's okay—I promise that we're not bad people. We just want to help you. It hurts, doesn't it?"

She bit down on her trembling lower lip before she nodded her head weakly, tears falling from her eyes silently.

"Where do you live?" I gently smoothed locks of her hair out of her face before reaching into my school bag and rummaging through it, taking out a packet of tissue. Sliding one out, I lightly used it to clean the blood and to remove the dirt and tiny pebbles.

"15th street," she whimpered slightly as I removed a particularly large piece of rubble.

Tsuna and I shared a concerned look, and he murmured, "That's quite a bit farther up."

"Would it be faster to bring her home?" I mused aloud, biting down on my lower lip as I finished with her cheek and moved to one of her palms. "I know it hurts, but we're going to make it feel better, okay?"

"It'd take around the same time," Tsuna estimated, shaking his head. He ran a hand through his spiky hair. "What do you think we should do?"

My teeth bit down harder on my lower lip, my stomach flipping over and knotting when more tears fell from the petite girl's eyes. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed that Hibari was leaning against the lamppost, his arms folded across his chest. His eyes narrowed as they met mine, like he was silently warning me to not even _think_about it.

But I did. "Hibari," I called out. "Can we bring her to your place?"

"No," came his cool reply.

"Please?" I gave him a desperate look. "We need to clean her wounds. You have medical supplies at your house, right?"

His grey-blue eyes were cold. "Herbivores aren't welcomed."

My lips pulled into a frown. I figured that I knew a way to get Hibari to agree, but at the same time, I was reluctant to negotiate using that specific card. If I wanted to relieve the little girl of her pain as soon as possible though, I'd definitely need to use it.

Looking up at Tsuna, I advised, "Go to school, Tsuna. I can handle this with Hibari."

Shock fluttered along his face. "No! What are you saying? I can't just _leave_you and go to school!"

"Gokudera and Yamamoto are going to be worried if neither one of us shows up and explain the situation to them," I reminded him gently. "And besides, I'm more suitable to stay with her since I've been trained in first aid."

"But—"

I smiled at him. "It's okay, Tsuna, really. You wouldn't want Gokudera and Yamamoto to worry too much, right? I promise I'll be able to take care of it."

"N-Nee-chan," the younger girl whispered, blinking her glossy eyes at me.

I glanced down at her and lightly swiped at her tear tracks with the pad of my thumb. "It's okay," I told her gently. "We'll get you cleaned up as soon as we can."

"Are you sure?" Tsuna looked torn between protesting and complying.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Please, Tsuna?"

The look in his eyes told me he'd question me about it later. "Okay. Promise me that you'll be careful, Azumi?"

"I will," I promised him. I waved slightly and watched as he disappeared around the corner before I turned around to face Hibari. "Please, Hibari. If you let us use the facilities in your house, I'll fight you."

This caught his attention. "Ho? What are the conditions of the fight?"

"The first one to draw blood," I made up. "Well, I mean, even a little bit of it works. Of course we're not going to go on a rampage and destroy everything and make blood spill everywhere or kill each other, but—" I broke my sentence off, since I had been rambling. I shook my head and continued on, "And it has to be after we defeat the people who have come to take the Rings."

He paused delicately, thinking it over. When his eyes locked with mine, a slow smirk appeared on his face. "Fine. I accept your conditions, herbivore."

My lips curled up into a wide smile as I got up and picked up the bags that seemed to hold less than half of the food she had originally bought. Slipping the handles down to my forearms, I made my way back to the little girl. She was thin and despite my size, I was stronger than most people due to my training in Varia. Carefully hooking one arm under her knees and wrapping my other arm behind her shoulders, I picked her up and turned to the prefect, who had been watching the exchange with the same cold, slightly frowning face.

He didn't say a word as he turned around and began heading back to where his house was located. I didn't say anything either, and neither did the youngster I held in my arms. She tried to sniffle as quietly as she could, but it was still relatively loud. I hoped that Hibari wouldn't lose his temper with the noise—it would be horrible if he got angry at this point. The girl would only burst into more tears.

Though... I wasn't sure if he would be upset at this point or excited. After all, I had never actually _planned_ to declare I'd fight the Guardian before I came to Namimori. It had actually been the opposite—I had hoped that I would never engage in a battle with _any_of them. I questioned whether or not I'd survive the battle, but then I shook my head at the thought. Surely, Hibari would abide by the rules that stated we wouldn't kill each other, right?

It didn't take long for us to reach the enormous black gate that led into Hibari's home territory. Chivalry was one of the things that was lost on the tonfa-wielder as he opened it up and entered himself, not bothering to offer me to go first. I wasn't surprised, but it was people like Hibari that made me question whether chivalry still existed in this century.

We climbed up the four steps that were behind the gate before travelling up the smooth cement path that curled and led to the front door of the gigantic house. The grass on either side was a luscious shade of green, not too short or too tall, and there were a lot of trees and plants along the edge of the yard. I could tell that some rooms had shoji acting as windows, and even doors that led out to the two meter wide deck that seemed to stretch around the entire house.

When we reached the front door, he unlocked it and glided inside, leaving the door open. I timidly stepped into his household, aware of his gaze on me, and murmured faintly, "Sorry for the intrusion, Hibari."

After I took my shoes off, he began walking down the long and relatively spacious halls. The floor was made of smooth, shiny dark wood, but through the cracks between fusuma, I noticed that the rooms had tatami mats. The delicate cloth of the fusuma had beautiful designs painted onto it with what seemed like the utmost care.

It was a very traditional-styled house, but it was so amazingly breathtaking. I hadn't ever been in one before, since I didn't live in Japan, but I had seen pictures and read about them before. I never could've imagined just how gorgeous it really was.

I stared around me in awe, looking up at the ceiling, around at all the different fusuma, and at the lights that illuminated the hallway. My mouth was open as I ogled, but I couldn't bring it in me to close my mouth.

When my eyes finally fell back forward, I realized that I was less than a meter away from where he stood, watching me with his unreadable eyes. I felt myself flush under his analyzing gaze, and I quickly pressed my lips together.

He reached next to him and slid open the white fusuma with a beautiful mountain design on it. I took it as a sign for me to enter, and I glanced inside to see that it was the bathroom. I entered it, taking in the way the floor was sleek black marble and the walls made of matching stone, though this time ivory. An entire wall would've been covered by a spotless mirror if the long, dark counter hadn't stopped it midway. With two sinks made of what looked like porcelain and shining silver taps, it was very clean and neat. The toilet was seated at the end of the counter, and a large rectangular bathtub that had steps leading up to it covered the entire wall on the other side.

Swallowing, I moved further in, only to see that the wall next to the toilet was only part of the glass shower that he had installed there. Looking up, there were two small skylights near the sinks, and a larger one above the bath.

He didn't say anything, but instead he turned his back to us and began heading down the hall once more. I assumed that he was getting whatever supplies were necessary.

"Thank you," I called after his retreating back. He had only faltered in his footsteps for a second before steadying himself again, disappearing somewhere.

Vigilantly, I helped the girl sit down on the counter, and then set the bags down onto the floor. "Are you alright?"

She sniffled, the tears still silently falling from her eyes, though slower this time. I knew that my sweater-vest would be stained with her tears, but I didn't pay much mind to it. "Y-Yes."

"I'm going to have to wash your wounds with warm water," I alerted her, glancing around to see what I could use to wipe her wounds with. "Do you want to wash your hands, or do you want me to wipe them for you?"

The adorable girl shook her head. "I don't know..."

"What would you feel most comfortable with?" I questioned, offering a tilt of my lips to the tiny, delicate young lady in front of me.

"W-Wiping them," she hiccupped slightly, her already red face turning just a shade darker.

I laughed, "I hate it when I get hiccups. It takes them forever to stop." I walked over to where a holder had brand new towels stacked on top of one another. Unfortunately, the hanger was quite high up, and I couldn't reach the uppermost towel. Even on my tip-toes, my hand could only graze the soft material of the second towel. I was just about to jump, trying to take my chances of having them all fall on me, when a presence appeared behind me and another arm stretched out, easily taking the towel off the platform created from steel bars.

Turning, I smiled brightly at Hibari's impassive facial expression. I took the towel from his hands, "Thank you." I turned on the tap of the stick, making sure that the water wasn't too warm or too cold before I placed the white, smooth towel underneath it.

"So what's your name?" I started conversation as I let the towel soak enough water. When it did, I turned the tap off and wrung it so that it wasn't completely dry, but wasn't soaking yet anymore, either.

Her lips thinned for a moment and her forest eyes bored deeply into mine. I blinked at her curiously, a smile still on my lips as I awaited her reply. I supposed that I understood where she was coming from—she must have been taught not to associate herself with strangers, and that was what Hibari and I were. Not to mention that we brought her into a completely unfamiliar surrounding that was isolated. Even if I wasn't completely aware of how dangerous the situation could be, I would still have a bad feeling in my gut due to survival instincts.

Eventually, she uttered, "Tomoko. Watanabe Tomoko."

"Well, Tomoko, this might sting, but please keep still okay?" When she nodded, I pressed the cloth to her cheek, trying my hardest to wash her wound with the slightest of pressure. She winced at the contact, but no sound left her lips.

When I was finally satisfied that her scraped skin was clean, I turned the tap on again and washed the part of the cloth I had used. "I like that name," I commented thoughtfully. "Tomoko. It sounds really pretty." I grinned at her before gingerly taking her wrist, flipping her hand over so that her raw palm was shown to me.

She flushed deeper. "Thank you," she murmured timidly.

"I'm Shimizu Azumi," I introduced, briefly glancing up from her hands to meet her eyes and smile. "It's nice meeting you, Tomoko. Although," I let out a small laugh, "I can't say the situation we've met can be considered ideal."

"I like your name, too!" she blurted out. Both our eyes widened at the words, our faces both flooding with slight colour.

Laughing with just a slight splatter of awkwardness left my lips. "Thank you."

When I finished one palm, I rewashed the towel once more and started on her next palm.

"I like your hair," she breathed, sounding like she was in awe. "It's so pretty."

Involuntarily, my eyebrows shot up and I stared at her, my movements stilling. When my initial shock wore off though, I let out a chuckle. "You really think so?" She nodded her head vigorously, and I grinned at her, trying not to let it looked strained. "Thank you."

I hadn't really done anything special with my hair this morning, since I didn't feel any need to. So the long strands were left down and unhindered by any ribbons or clips.

It was probably the first time I had heard something like that from someone other than my family. After all, compared with _her_, I—  
><em><br>Stop_.

I broke my own train of thought in half, realizing just what I had been thinking of in the first place. I struggled not to let the emotions I had flutter across my face, trying to maintain the smile that I held.

Hibari had placed the first aid kit on the other side of the sink, so when I finished with the towel, I folded it and placed it to the side before opening up the case, taking out what I needed. When I stood in front of her again with the antiseptic wipe, she surprised me by asking something I completely hadn't expected.

"C-Can I touch it?"

Slightly perplexed, I tilted my head at her. "Touch what?"

"Your hair," she specified, smiling at me slightly. Her face was still as red as a tomato.

I let out another laugh at how she seemed so curious even though it was just _hair_. "If that's what you want. But first, can you close your eyes? This might hurt quite a bit, but it'll be over fast." She was obedient, shutting her brilliant grass-green eyes and I pressed down on the wound with the wipe and then patted it. She flinched and bit down on her lower lip when the liquid seeped into her raw and sensitive tissue, but she didn't complain about it.

Reaching beside me, I placed the wipe down for a second, picking up a gauze appropriate for her injury. I carefully positioned it over her scrape before sticking it on for her. "Alright, you can open your eyes."

She did what I said, and she hesitantly reached a hand out, her eyes darting to mine ask if to ask if she could. I grinned slightly at her, not really minding. Her small hand latched around a section of my layered hair. She played with it for a moment as I worked on her other, unoccupied, hand.

"I like it," she remarked with a bright smile.

"You'd be even more amazed if you met my mom and my sister," I told her with a laugh, my heart clenching slightly as I thought about those two. "Their hair's even better."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yup!" I affirmed, trying to sound cheerful. I wrapped her hand up in bandages, and she stopped fiddling with my hair to allow me to tend to her still unwrapped one. She replaced her previous hand with her newly bandaged one, however, seeming very intrigued.

"Can I?" she asked hopefully.

"Can you meet them?" I clarified. When she bobbed her head up and down, I bit down on my lower lip. "Maybe," I said honestly. "If they decide to visit."

"You don't live with your family?" she asked, her eyes showing worry for me even though she hardly knew me.

Shaking my head, I mused, "Not my biological family."

"Why not?" she blinked her wide, innocent eyes at me.

"Because we're all busy with different things," I told her truthfully.

Her lips pulled into a frown. "But that's so sad."

"It's okay," I told her, my lips curled upwards. "Even if I don't always get to see them, I still have my other families to take care of me."

"You have more than one family?" She sounded astonished.

"They're really close friends," I explained to her, carefully winding the material around her wound. "We trust each other a lot and we love each other almost as if we're real family. Like..." I paused, trying to find an example. Spotting a silent male leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, I continued, "Do you see the nice onii-chan over there?" I gestured towards Hibari, whose eyes narrowed at me hatefully.

Tomoko looked over my shoulder to see him. She nodded at me, "Yes."

"Well, he's Hibari Kyoya," I introduced indirectly. "We don't both anything alike, right? That's because we don't have the same mom and dad. But," I smiled at her, "one day, when we're close enough, we can consider each other family."

She had a sad look on her face. "That sounds nice. Mama and Papa are never home, and Nee-san doesn't let me play in the park."

My surprised eyes snapped up to meet Hibari's, whose eyes conveyed nothing. Seeing that he wasn't going to speak anytime soon, I let my eyes rest on the small girl in front of me again. "Why aren't your parents home?"

"Mama and Papa are busy," Tomoko replied. There was a dismal sparkle in her eyes, the emotion of slight neglect weaving into her tone. She tried to smile however, and said, "It's okay, though. I know they love us."

"I'm sure they do," I tried my best to smile, but I found it hard to. In a way, I could understand how she felt—after all, growing up, I hadn't seen much of my own parents. However, whenever I did, I had always felt like they were trying to make up for the lost of time, trying to express their love to the fullest. "So you live with your Nee-san and she takes care of you?"

Nodding her head, Tomoko said, "Nee-san is out a lot though, so I've learned to take care of myself."

My eyebrows furrowed. "How old is your sister, Tomoko?"

"Sixteen," she chirped after a few seconds. "Her hair is pretty too, but I like your hair colour better."

"Thank you," I smiled at her slightly before asking, "If your sister is sixteen, then how old are you?"

"I just turned seven," she declared proudly, her lips pulling back to reveal a slightly toothless smile. It seemed like the timid girl that had been in front of me seconds ago had disappeared.

Chortling, I hummed, "Is that so? Do you think your sister is looking for you right now?"

Tomoko blinked her eyes at me and then her shoulder lifted up into a shrug. "I don't know. Nee-san acts differently a lot."

"What do you mean?" I realized that I hadn't packed up the medical supplies, and quickly did so, gathering what needed to be thrown away together into a pile and placing the extra bandages into the box.

"Sometimes she's really nice. It's usually around her friends," Tomoko remembered, her innocent mind not comprehending the meaning of what she had just said. "And then sometimes she gets really mean."

"I see," I murmured. I tried to be discreet about it as my eyes travelled along the little girl's body, straining to see if there were any bruise marks or any cuts. I couldn't find any along her exposed arm, which relieved me slightly, but I wasn't sure about her torso or anywhere else. Carefully, I asked, "Does she hurt you?"

Genuine confusion painted Tomoko's dainty features. "Why would she hurt me?"

"N-No reason!" I stammered, slightly taken aback by the clear perplexity of Tomoko's look. She had stared at me as if I had thrown up lava or as if I grew eighteen heads. In my defence, however, the fact that her sister portrayed herself differently to others made me wary instantly. It wasn't as if my mind could stop from bouncing to thoughts of physical harm.

"You're kind of weird, Azumi-nee," Tomoko commented, giggling.

My mouth opened and closed. "Um—thank you?"

"It's a good thing," she paused, "I think." The green-eyed youngster clenched and unclenched her hands a few times before reaching up to brush her fingers along the gauze I had placed on her cheek. "Thank you for helping me, Azumi-nee, Hibari-nii."

I almost choked when I heard how she addressed Hibari, but she was smiling brightly at him, and although he didn't smile back, he didn't say anything, either. There was no silky, melodious voice correcting her on what she said. It caused my own lips to pull upwards.

"Don't mention it," I beamed at her. "Come on, we should probably take you home, or at the very least, find your sister. I'm sure that she's worried sick about you." I ruffled her glossy bright orange tresses.

A sad expression dawned onto her face. "Do we have to?"

"You don't want to?" I blinked at her.

"I want to stay with you," she answered openly. "I like you."

My face reddened slightly again—kids these days weren't the slightest bit bashful—and I tugged lightly on a strand of her hair. "Well, I like you too. How about we play together one day?"

Her face lightened up immediately. "Can we?"

"If that's what you want," I told her with a laugh. "Where do you live?"

After giving me her address, she said, "You have to promise to come and play with me, okay?"

"I promise," I reassured her.

"And you have to bring Hibari-nii, too," she added.

Well, keeping _that_promise would definitely be harder than I originally thought. I didn't dare let my eyes shift towards the onyx-haired prefect in case of the look he'd be giving me, so instead, I told her, "I'll try my best."

Satisfied, she hopped off of the counter, but not before taking her shoes off and carrying them both in one hand. Reaching for my hand with her spare one, she consented, "Okay. _Now_we can go find Nee-san."

Chuckling lightly, she pulled me down the hallway we had come from. Hibari didn't follow us out immediately, but when he emerged out of the bathroom again, I saw the bags Tomoko had dropped earlier held in his hands. When we reached the front door where our shoes were all placed, she and I slipped on our respective footwear.

"Hibari, would you accompany me for this?" I beamed at the prefect.

"Please, Hibari-nii?" Tomoko looked up hopefully at him, her eyes wide and glittering.

Looking at him as he stared down at the little girl, I felt like he would deny her request bluntly and harshly. His eyes didn't even soften the slightest to indicate that he'd agree, but he managed to surprise me as he answered after a brief silence. He slipped on his shoes. "It better be quick, or else I'll b—"

Interrupting him before he could say something that would make the little girl question what he meant—and become more than just a little bit afraid of him or conjure up strange ideas about how Hibari was a vampire or some other mythical creature—I said, "Thanks, Hibari!" Addressing the jade-eyed little lady, I said, "We should hurry, okay? I'm sure she's worried about you."

"Okay," Tomoko grinned magnificently. "Let's go!"

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><p><strong>AN :**

That concludes the fifth chapter. I had no idea how I was supposed to get her to strike up the deal with him, and this is what it turned into. I don't know, but it just is. OTL.

Mm, I hope that I didn't make anyone too OOC? If I did, I apologize, and I'd appreciate it if you could tell me how, so I can improve on it for the chapters to come (:

Lots of love and thanks to;

**MoonlitNite, 10th Squad 3rd Seat, StoryReader888, Youknowwhothisis, steel-alchemist, Wendy darling, and Tsukuda Sumiko**

You guys are amazing for reviewing, and I loved reading them (: So thank you so much, and I hope that I'll hear more from you guys with this chapter as well as future chapters ;D

Also, thank you a lot to everyone who alerted and favourited! (:

**To MoonlitNite;**

... DOES SHE? I don't even know. LOL. I thought that she's like she always is, but maybe it's just me? xD Thank you for reviewing! Have a wonderful Christmas and an amazing start to the New Year (:

**To 10th Squad 3rd Seat;**

Mm... Actually, I was thinking of addressing the "tolerant" matter in the next chapter. She's alright in Hibird's book, but since Hibird is Hibari's, he won't stick with Azumi if Hibari doesn't want him to. HAHA. The love between those two... -grins- Thanks so much for always taking the time to review for me! I hope that your Christmas is awesome, and that your New Years is just as super. ;D

**To Youknowwhothisis and steel-alchemist;**

"She"... Well, you guys will need to read to find out (: All I can say is that when you guys actually find out who it is, it might seem so obvious all along. Thanks to you both for reading and reviewing, and I hope that you guys get to celebrate a fabulous Christmas and New Years! (:

**To StoryReader888 and Wendy darling;**

HAHA. Thank you guys so much for your compliments! (: I'm glad that you guys are enjoying the story. It's relieving to know that you guys don't hate OCs, and that you guys find Azumi rather tolerable. XD I feel extremely flattered, and I'll work hard not to disappoint you guys. Hopefully, I'll be able to continuously hear your thoughts on Azumi as well as the story itself. Thank you for your amazing reviews, and I hope that you guys enjoy Christmas and New Years to the fullest with lots of happiness! (:

**To Tsukuda Sumiko;**

Do you actually love her more each chapter? LOL. Mm... Actually, there's a reason for all of this. I mean, there's always a reason for every chapter, but I meant the reason why they didn't show up yet. All those other questions though... You'll have to read to find out (; Thank you for reviewing for me like always! Your support is very encouraging, and I hope that you have a fantastic Christmas and an equally magnificent New Years! ;D

Well... It's almost Christmas. xD So** I hope that you guys have a Christmas that's full of laughter and love**. And, you know, presents. -SHOT- Have fun with it, play with the snow if it's snowing where you guys live, and if there's someone you're into... Well. I hope that you, you know... SOMEHOW, just ACCIDENTALLY... get shoved under a mistletoe with them. -innocent look- Wait, what? ;D And since I don't know if I'll update before New Years... I'll say it in this chapter just in case; **I also hope that you guys all start your New Year off with a blast, surrounded by friends and family.**(:

I hope that you guys will continue to support me ;D I'd love to hear you thoughts on whether you loved the chapter, what you didn't like about it, or about any mistakes I made in the chapter.

Please review, or if you want, personal messaging is fine with me, too ;D

With lots of love,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	6. The Food Chain

**Disclaimer : No, I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! All rights belong solely to Amano Akira.**

**A/N :**

It's been a whileee. Okay, well, it really hasn't been THAT long. At least it hasn't been, like, three months. xD I'm using this as my excuse to not do my math. Yay. (:

Anyways, I hope that you guys like the chapter! (: 

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><p><strong>CHAPTER SIX;<strong>

_"The Food Chain"_

* * *

><p>When we finally found Tomoko's older sister, it was near a park. She had been calling out Tomoko's name, sounding completely distressed. Her hair, unlike the jade-eyed youngster's orange locks, was a light platinum blond that reminded me of my sister's.<p>

"Nee-san!" Letting go of my hand, Tomoko ran the rest of the way to her older sister. Hibari and I remained our walking pace, and I glanced at him briefly. I had taken a bag from him earlier on so he didn't have to carry everything himself, and he didn't protest much, only stating that I was one of the most annoying people he'd ever met.

"Tomoko!" Relief flooded into the older girl's voice, and she wrapped her arms around her younger sister, lifting her up for a moment before setting her down. And, unexpectedly, her voice changed from relief to anger. "Where do you think you've been? Don't you know how long I've been looking for you? I had to skip out on school because you were gone!"

"S-Sorry," Tomoko stammered, obviously as stunned as I was with the sudden and abrupt switch.

The snarl could be heard in her smooth alto voice. "Sorry? _Sorry_? That's all you have to say? And what's up with the bandages? What—"

"Sorry," I piped up, not wanting her to start yelling. Her eyes snapped up to meet mine, and I noticed that her orbs were a much darker shade of green than Tomoko's. "Everything regarding Tomoko has been my fault."

Her eyes narrowed. She put a hand on Tomoko's shoulder in a way that seemed half possessive, half protective. "Who are _you_?"

"Just someone who happened to be passing by," I responded vaguely, beaming. "Tomoko tripped and fell, and she was bleeding, so we tended to her wounds. Sorry about keeping her from you—you must have been worried sick."

She caught on. "'_We'_?" She looked around for a moment, trying to spot the other person that I was speaking about. It was clear when she noticed him; her eyes widened, her lips parting slightly, and she swallowed loudly before running a hand through her short hair.

"Azumi-nee and Hibari-nii were really nice," Tomoko murmured, clearly cautious about what she said in case she set her older sister off again.

Her tone had taken a one-eighty degree turn. Pleasantness and sweetness replaced the hostility and biting tone. "So you're...?"

"Shimizu Azumi." I had an idea that she wasn't interested in hearing _my_full name, though.

Nodding slightly, she smiled at Hibari next and waited to hear his given name. "And you're?"

Hibari's eyes shifted to meet hers, and I saw her body freeze. His lips remained tilted downwards. "None of your business, is it?"

She seemed dazed at his uncaring and cold response, her eyes darkening a bit. However, she covered up the look that appeared on her face quickly and nodded. "You're right."

"And yourself?" My voice was light as I stared into her masked dark emerald eyes.

"Watanabe," she chirped dazzlingly. "Watanabe Mai."

"It's nice to meet you," I bowed slightly, and she did the same. "Why was Tomoko so far away from home? And alone, nonetheless?"

For a split second, a look flashed in Mai's eyes that told me she wanted to tear my head cleanly off my shoulders. Her smile, however, dripped with honey. "I can't say that I know. I woke up this morning, and she was already gone."

Tomoko's high voice interrupted, overflowing with confusion. "But Nee-san was the one who told me to—"

Mai let out a forced, tinkling laugh, her grip on the younger girl's shoulder tightening in warning. "What are you talking about, Tomoko? I didn't tell you to do anything like that."

Knowing better, Tomoko kept her mouth shut. Her round, slightly baffled and upset eyes tilted upwards to meet mine, and I blinked at her for a moment before smiling gently at her. Her lips, in return, tried to mirror mine.

"Well," I started, "either way, you should be more careful. It's dangerous for little kids."

There was clearly something she wanted to say in retaliation to what left my lips, but she made a visible effort to force it back down. "Yes, you're right. I'll make sure that Tomoko doesn't leave the house alone like that anymore." There was a pause. "We should get going. Thank you for all your help, Shimizu-san, Hibari-san."

"Don't mention it," I replied, but Hibari remained silent. "Oh, wait, before you go, here are the grocery bags that Tomoko had been carrying." I handed Mai the bag I currently held in my hand before pivoting on my heel and heading towards Hibari. "Bag, please?"

"Take it." He didn't even bother trying to come closer or to hand me the bag when I was within reach.

"Thank you," I took the bag from his grasp gently, smiling at him before hurrying back towards the waiting duo. I gave Mai the other bag and said, "Some of the food was ruined, but... I'm sure that Tsuna made sure to retrieve all the ones that are still edible."

Mai's eyebrows rose. "Tsuna?"

"The other nii-chan, right?" Tomoko beamed at me.

Letting out a laugh, I nodded. Before I could say anything, Mai interrupted me. "Well, thanks again. We'll be taking our leave now."

"Wait!" Tomoko exclaimed. She held her arms out and looked at me expectantly. If it wasn't an action that I was so used to, I wouldn't have understood what she had meant. But since I had familiarized myself with such a gesture, I knew exactly what she wanted.

Crouching down, I wrapped my arms around her tightly, feeling her return the gesture. "See you next time."

"Remember your promise," she reminded me softly, so her sister couldn't hear.

"I will," I told her before loosening my arms around her. She pulled back and smiled at me before turning back to her sister. Mai took Tomoko's hand and began pulling her in the opposite direction, looking at us over her shoulder right before disappearing around the corner.

I straightened myself out when they were out of sight, and turned around to speak with Hibari, only to see his back disappearing around the corner again. "Ah, Hibari!" I called out, but he didn't stop. Sighing faintly, my feet moved faster to catch up with him. He was heading back the way we had come instead of heading towards Nami Middle, which confused me.

"Don't you have anything better do to than bother me, herbivore?" Hibari didn't spare me a glance as I fell into step beside him.

"I don't intend to bother you. I'm just wondering where you're going," I cast my eyes over to his profile, taking notice of his sharp and angular features.

"You're nosy," he told me curtly. "I hate it."

"Sorry," I told him with faint sincerity. I wasn't shocked in the least at his answer. After all, I had never expected for him to like me right off the bat, especially since I had been told on more than one occasion that I was an aggravating person. "But I left my schoolbag at your house. I'm really sorry, but I _do _need it back."

He made a noncommittal sound, and we walked back to his residence in silence. He opened up the gate and ascended up the stairs leading to the pathway once more, but I remained in front of the gate.

"Do you mind getting my bag for me?" I questioned, smiling at his back. "I'm sure you wouldn't want me entering your house again, so... Please?"

"_Annoying_," he commented coldly. I let out a small laugh in response as he continued farther into his home while I stayed at the front gate. Leaning my back against the cement that was the fencing around the house, I clasped my hands together in front of me and let out a sigh.

On top of the whole issue with Tomoko's sister—what was I going to do about _her_?—and the whole enemy-attacking-for-the-Rings thing, what Tomoko said was bothering me a lot. Her unguarded and innocent questions were causing my head to hurt just slightly. Or, perhaps it wasn't what she was asking, but merely what my mind automatically conjured up in response to her questions.

When she had mentioned meeting my mom and Suzu... I shook my head, exhaling loudly. The possibilities of that happening were slim. It wasn't as if they disliked Japan—rather, they both loved it here as well, but they rarely got to take time off from their Varia duties to travel or go on vacation. Their positions simply didn't allow it. And it wasn't only that; if they were to ever visit, I had no doubt that they would want to travel to all the big spots for tourists instead of staying in Namimori the entire time.

If she met Suzu...

Closing my eyes, I bit down hard on my lower lip. It wasn't as if there was something _wrong _with Suzu or anything, and it wasn't as if I didn't love her to death, because I did. However—my slightly brooding train of thought was broken as the gate softly clanged open once more, Hibari stepping out. He didn't look at me as he began walking away, carelessly tossing me my schoolbag.

"Thank you," I beamed at him, hurrying to walk with him back to Nami Middle. It was silent for the first few minutes, but then I couldn't help but ask him, "Do you like kids?"

"They're noisy," he said matter-of-factly, his grey-blue eyes trained on the road in front of him.

"But they're so cute," I pointed out. "And they're so innocent."

"It doesn't change the fact they crowd together," his quiet, yet clear voice stated. It was obvious that he didn't care what age you were—crowding was a no-no to him. Yet it was still a mystery as to _why_.

I wasn't quite sure I should approach on the subject again—the memories of when he had his tonfa nearly crushing my throat bombarded my mind, and involuntarily, one of my hands left the handle of my schoolbag to touch the lightly bruised skin. It was relatively visible due to the fact that my skin was pretty pale, but thankfully nobody had questioned me about it as of yet. Then again, the event had taken place yesterday, and I hadn't been to school yet... But nonetheless, nobody at home asked me about it, though I was sure they all knew. Sort of.

Realizing that I had just been staring off into space as I kept my hand on my throat, I quickly dropped it and flicked my eyes towards the taller figure next to me. His eyes had been watching me, and as I dropped my hand, they fluttered away to stare ahead again.

Was he remembering what I was?

"What do you think about Mai?" I felt my lips pull up with amusement as I thought back to the taller female. I wondered how long she had started acting nice and kind in front of her friends—was it her friends, or was it in front of the opposite gender? Maybe it was because I wasn't exactly her friend, but her hostility towards me was evident. That completely changed when she saw Hibari.

"I don't particularly care."

We rounded a corner, and I had to swerve to avoid being hit by a deliveryman rushing by, his cap looking like it was about to fly off. He looked absolutely panicked, and I blinked at him over my shoulder, watching as he nearly toppled over as he tried to move around a mother and her baby stroller.

When I brought my attention back to our topic of conversation, however, I grinned at Hibari. "Really? She seems to have a high opinion of _you_."

"A high regard from nobody but a mere herbivore grants no satisfaction," he notified me easily, his response quick and swift. He didn't even need to take time to think about how to respond to what I had said.

I let out a small laugh. "I'm starting to wonder if you know what I mean, Hibari. You _do_ know I'm not saying she thinks highly of your fighting reputation, right?"

"Then it matters even less," he retorted smoothly, his hands in his pockets. I noticed that he wasn't carrying a schoolbag, but thinking back on it, he never seemed to have one in his presence. I made a small note in the back of my mind to ask him on the matter at another point in time.

"You shouldn't say that," I disagreed frivolously. Thoughtfully, I pondered aloud, "Maybe she _likes _how you're so nonchalant about everything. I can imagine it." Though it wasn't hard to, since her tone earlier had a keen interest in it.

"I have no interest in the weak." He spoke almost as if we were talking about the weather. I wasn't sure how he could be so casual about this—after all, we were talking about _him_. It was so casual, so easy, it seemed like these sorts of words were second nature to him. Although, I supposed that they were.

I smiled slightly, somewhat entertained by his response but also faintly exasperated. There were so many things that he needed to know and to understand—why hadn't Dino taught it to him? Or perhaps the Tenth Chiavarone Boss had tried already, only it didn't get through to the tonfa-using Cloud Guardian. If that was so, I had no idea how I would get him to take what _I_ said into consideration. After all, Dino seemed like the only person who could relatively tame Hibari—besides from Reborn—and if he couldn't do it... It'd be hopeless for me.

"I'm sure she isn't _weak_," I protested.

He glanced at me fleetingly. "If your eyesight is damaged, it won't be fun biting you to death when the time comes."

Chuckling, I shook my head. "No, I mean... Mai is weak in the sense that she can't win in a battle against you, Tsuna, nor anyone else that's been caught up in the Mafia business. However, I'm sure that she _is _strong, just in a different way. After all, there's more than just one kind of strength."

"All the other kinds of 'strength' you speak of won't prevent you from being killed," he countered flatly. I could tell he was wondering what I was going on about, talking about different _strengths_. In Hibari's mind, he probably thought what I was spewing out was trash. I didn't doubt that he only knew of that one kind of "strength" that existed, and that was the strength to crush your opponent with overwhelming power.

"Maybe they won't." I tilted my head up to look up at the sky. "But aren't you even just the slightest bit curious as to what those strengths are? It's possible that one day those strengths that seem so useless will develop into something bigger, more pronounced. And when that day comes, maybe they'll be worth more than brute strength ever will."

"Such ways of thinking is what makes you a herbivore," he didn't hesitate to say. "This is why you're prey."

The smile on my face grew at his words. "And you're a predator, right?"

He remained silent, not responding.

"That may be true," I contemplated. "I'm certainly not the strongest person around. But you know, in a food chain, predators also have predators that devour them."

His tonfa whipped out in a flash and he held it threateningly to my already bruised throat. Eyes ignited and glowering, he warned, "Herbivores need to know their place."

I twisted away from his tonfa with a smile, my hands clasped behind my back as I began walking backwards, facing his still static body. "It's the truth. All predators are prey. If humans were to stand at the very top of the food chain, we're still prey to one another. I believe that there's always going to be someone stronger, no matter what. Every animal has certain features that allow them to survive, right? Those enable them to either run away from the threat or to stay and fight. Humans, too, have hidden capabilities. So for all you know, Hibari, I'm not your prey. You're _mine_."

His eyebrow lifted just slightly as he turned to fully face me. An amused half-smirk danced gracefully along his lips. "Ho? How fascinating. You sound confident. Is that a challenge?"

I grinned at him. "Who knows?" I stopped when I was roughly five meters ahead of him. "Maybe it'll be decided when we have our competition—whether you're my prey or I'm yours. Shall we wait until then to decide?"

"Don't make me laugh. We both know that I'll destroy you." He didn't even try to be modest.

"I don't think you have the right to say _I _sound confident," I pointed out, "when you speak in such a way."

His footsteps were steady and at a regular tempo. He didn't speak until the distance between us had vanished. "You're wrong." He passed me without a glance as he said in his quiet, silky voice, "You sounded confident," pause, "for a herbivore such as yourself that'll be bitten to death."

I let out laugh, turning on my heels and allowing myself to walk with him once again. "I guess that it's not unreasonable for you to be so self-assured."

The lean ebony-haired Guardian was unresponsive this time, unmistakably not interested in this topic of conversation anymore. I could feel the smile on my face despite his silence, though—it was probably the most I'd heard him speak ever since I had met him. Undoubtedly, I hadn't known him for very long at all, but it felt almost as if I was getting an idea of what to say and what _not_ to say around him. It felt like I was adapting to his nature, even if it was just slightly.

Nami Middle was only a handful of minutes out of our grasp now, our eyes able to see the building that loomed over the rooftops of houses. The enormous circular clock that sat peacefully on the front of the tall building alerted us that lunch had started just a minute or two ago.

Although taking care of Tomoko's wounds really hadn't taken that long at all, finding her sister had taken what seemed like endless hours. I had a suspicion that we would always _just _miss one another, or that we would go in circles around one another unknowingly. Either way, it had taken quite a while to find Mai, but I wasn't exactly complaining about it. Sure, I had missed out on class—though, to be honest, I was slightly glad even though I knew the teachers would be irritated—but through that, I had made a new friend and had seen more sides to Hibari than I would've ever dared to ask for.

The two of us entered through the gates together, and I couldn't help but ask him, "Are you going to get lunch?"

"Butting your head into my business again, Shimizu Azumi?" He slid his eyes to meet mine. "I'll punish you."

My lips tilted upwards albeit his warning. "I was just wondering if you wanted me to get you anything, since I'm heading towards the cafeteria anyways."

He didn't respond with words, but instead shot me a scowl.

"Then I'm assuming that you're going to take a nap?" I beamed at him, taking his silence as a confirmation. "I hope that you have a good rest if that's the case."

Hibari didn't retort, turning away from me the moment we entered the school again. My eyes followed his form for a brief moment before I chuckled to myself, bringing up a fist to try and stifle the sound. Sparing him another glance, I faced the opposite direction and began heading towards the cafeteria.

* * *

><p>Sliding the door to the classroom open, I blinked in confusion when silence greeted me. My classmates all stared at me with wide, disbelieved eyes and incredulous expressions. Some had their mouths dropped open, and I stared back at them with a perplexed look. It was slightly unnerving to have them look at me like that.<p>

My eyes slid over to Gokudera, who also had a slightly unbelieving look plastered on his devilishly handsome features, while Tsuna just looked surprised and somewhat dumbfounded. A hint of nervousness surrounded him, too. Yamamoto, however, still had the same smile singing along his lips as usual, his eyes bright.

"Um," I lowered the bread that I had pressed to my mouth. "Good afternoon?"

Gokudera was the first one to break the silence that surged through the room. "What was _that_?"

"What was what?" My eyebrows pulled together a bit as I stared at the beautiful green eyes of the dynamite user, who looked beyond exasperated at my response.

"You were gone for the whole morning and then you come back with—with—" Gokudera couldn't even seem to say Hibari's name.

"Hibari?" I finished, hearing some sharp intakes of breath from people in the room. My perplexity only grew. "What of it?"

"How are you not—" Gokudera struggled to find the right words. "How are you _alive_?"

My eyebrows shot up. "_What_?"

"What Gokudera-kun's saying," Tsuna tried to explain, "is that we're surprised you haven't been bitten to death yet."

"What are you saying?" I took another bite out of my bread, chewed, and swallowed before I continued, "Not everyone that's with Hibari gets harmed." Which was kind of true, but also kind of not. There'd be a lot of supporting evidence for both sides regarding that statement.

"But you're—you're _you_!" Gokudera exclaimed, sounding like the world had just announced that the ground was the sky and the sky was the ground.

A smile curled up onto my face at Gokudera's incomprehension. I didn't take any offense to the way he phrased his words, since I had already gotten used to his rough and impolite manner of speech. It wasn't nearly as bad as some members' in Varia, anyways. "And that's supposed to mean?"

Yamamoto let out a laugh. "I think that everyone's just surprised, is all."

"Nobody should be," I replied easily. "It's not as if Hibari tolerated me. I might still be alive, but that doesn't mean he didn't try and enforce punishment on me. I'm just good at running away." At my words, it was almost like everyone unfroze. The released breaths of everyone combined into one simultaneous sigh, and they returned back to their own respective groups.

Still bewildered, I made my way to where Tsuna and the gang were. "I don't really get it..."

Tsuna forced a strained laugh. "Well, you see..."

"Everyone thought you were getting special treatment," Gokudera folded his arms across his chest, staring at me with pursed lips.

"Special treatment?" I repeated, staring at him with a slightly dubious look. "What do you mean?"

"Like..." Tsuna made some hand movements, but seeing my even more confused look, he gave a hopeless look to Gokudera and Yamamoto.

"Tolerating you, I think," Yamamoto laughed. "Everyone thought that Hibari was tolerating you more than others."

"_Tolerating_ me?" I grinned in amusement at hearing those words. "Hibari tolerates everyone, doesn't he? It's just that when everyone sees him, they're in groups, so it annoys him. I'm sure that if you were to be alone with him, he wouldn't treat you any differently than he treated me. Like I said—it's not as if he didn't try to punish me. I just manage to slip away all the time due to certain circumstances."

Tsuna still had an anxious look on his face. "I-I guess that's true..."

"But the fact you managed to slip away is still..." Gokudera trailed off in a mutter. He regarded me through his analyzing olive orbs. "Or maybe not, since you're part of Varia."

I blinked at the silver-haired male. "Um, thanks?"

"That didn't sound like a compliment, Azumi." Tsuna gaped slightly at me.

"It's fine, it's fine," Yamamoto brushed off easily. He smiled at me and inquired, "What happened? Tsuna had just gotten to the part when he left."

"To think you almost dragged the Tenth into a situation where he'd miss school..." Gokudera's eyebrow twitched and he scowled at me disapprovingly. "At least you had enough common sense to let him come."

Chortling, I bit into my bread again. "Well, after Tsuna left, we went to Hibari's place to clean her up."

"I've just detected ten things wrong with that sentence," Gokudera interrupted.

"What?" Confusion coloured my voice.

"It's the fact that he let you into his _house_," Tsuna sounded horrified and awed at the same time. "How did you manage something like _that_, Azumi?"

I smiled slightly, recalling what it took to allow such a thing to happen. "We made a deal."

"Oh?" Yamamoto laughed. "That sounds like fun. What kind of deal is it?"

"The only kind of deal I can imagine Hibari accepting is—"

"That I'd fight him," I finished for Gokudera, beaming at the trio in front of me.

Gokudera closed his eyes, clearly wondering what had happened to my mind. He was undoubtedly questioning the level of my IQ and about whether or not I had blobs of stupidity in my brain. He covered his face with a hand, shaking his head slightly. His eye was twitching. "Of all things..."

Tsuna's face paled noticeably. He stared at me with terrified eyes, his body rigid and tense. The brunette's mouth had fallen open, and there was clear pity and concern in his eyes. "A-Azumi..."

The baseball player blinked at me for a moment before he let out a chuckle. "Wow! You're definitely brave, Azumi."

"This isn't a laughing matter, you baseball freak!" Gokudera scolded, sounding agitated beyond belief.

"It's fine," I reassured them with a smile. "I mean, I'm glad that you're worried about me, but it's really actually fine."

Gokudera's look was skeptical. "What are the conditions of the fight?"

"The first one to draw blood wins," I stated easily, beaming. They didn't have the same reaction. Rather than returning my smile with dazzling ones of their own, they looked like they had been hit by a truck, or almost as if they had just encountered a ghost.

"You," Gokudera started slowly, "are definitely an idiot."

"This is bad, this is bad, this is bad," Tsuna chanted, his voice deprived of any cheerful emotions. Replacing them were tones and groans that zombies would use.

Yamamoto let out a chuckle, but it sounded slightly strained as well. He tried to smile at me, but it looked a bit off. "Ah, Azumi..."

"It's not that bad," I argued, taking another bite of my bread. "It's not as if we're going to try and kill each other. Even a drop of blood works—I mean, I doubt that we'll end up going completely crazy."

Shaking his head, Tsuna muttered for the fourth time, "This is bad."

"Have some faith in me, Tsuna!" I lightly nudged him, my lips pulling upwards. "I know that I might not look like it, but I have _some_ fight in me."

"Even if you're in Varia..." Gokudera let out an irritated sigh and stared at me seriously. "You haven't seen the way that bastard fights. He's bloodthirsty and unstoppable."

"But I don't think Hibari would kill her," Yamamoto contemplated with a smile. "He's not that kind of guy, don't you think?"

Gokudera's jade eyes slid over to meet Yamamoto's light oak ones. "And what makes you say that, Yamamoto?"

"Just a feeling," Yamamoto shrugged casually, laughing when Gokudera burst into a string of insults that just seemed to slide right off of the katana wielder.

"It's _really _okay," I promised them with a smile. Wanting to change the subject from our impending duel, I continued, "We got escorted into his house and I tended to her wounds. She should be fine as long as she doesn't agitate them."

Tsuna seemed not to notice the sudden change in topic, or he noticed it, but his concern for Tomoko took over. "Did you find out why someone like her was all alone at such an early time?"

"She has an older sister," I murmured, biting down on my lower lip. I finished off the small piece of bread I had left before continuing, "I think that her sister's the one that sent her out to buy groceries."

Tsuna's gentle orbs widened. "But that's not right!"

"The Tenth's right," Gokudera said. He looked at me, "What makes you think that?"

"Hibari and I went looking for her older sister after her wounds were taken care of," I narrated. "It took us a long time, but eventually, we found her calling out for Tomoko."

"So that's her name?" Tsuna inquired, a smile tugging at his lips. A small, gentle glimmer was in his eyes. "Tomoko?"

Nodding my head, I smiled. "Watanabe Tomoko. She's a sweetheart. I think that you guys would like her. I know that she wants to see you again, Tsuna. She told me to bring you over the next time I go and visit her."

"You're going to go visit her?" Tsuna asked, sounding surprised.

My teeth flashed. "Yup! Come along with me, okay? You too, Yamamoto, Gokudera. I'm sure that she'd love to meet you guys."

Yamamoto laughed. "Sure thing! It sounds fun."

"Only if the Tenth's going to be there as well," Gokudera negotiated.

"A-Ah," Tsuna stammered. His eyes met mine, and I silently encouraged him. "I guess so... I mean, what's the harm, right?"

"Right," Yamamoto and I chorused together, sharing similarly curved lips and mirroring eyes.

"What's this about her sister, though?" Gokudera brought up.

Remembering what we were talking about, I said, "Ah! Well, we found Mai, her older sister. She's sixteen, according to Tomoko. When I asked Tomoko about Mai while at Hibari's, she mentioned how Mai acts differently when she's with her friends. She said that Mai's nicer and more affectionate, but then afterward, she'd be antagonistic and angry. It was kind of like that when we met her—she sounded furious with Tomoko. When she saw me, that aggression didn't cease. Her attitude changed completely when she saw Hibari, though."

"When she saw Hibari?" Yamamoto echoed, slightly confused.

"I see how it is," Gokudera grumbled, catching on to what I meant. "So it's not so much as _friends_, but the opposite gender, huh?"

"That's horrible," Tsuna murmured softly, his eyes concerned. "Not only is she lying to everyone around her, bit it probably hurts Tomoko, too..."

My eyes fell onto the wooden desk in front of me. "I think it does. When I asked Mai about why Tomoko was outside, she claimed she had no idea. But Tomoko spoke, and it sounded like she was trying to say that Mai had told her to get the groceries. She was cut off, though—Mai interrupted her before she could finish her sentence, so I can't be one hundred percent sure."

"If it were me," Gokudera started, "I wouldn't have let her finish _her_ sentence."

"I couldn't just _hit_ her," I argued, meeting the ambitious male's eyes with my own dark cobalt ones. "Especially since Tomoko was right there. If I had decided to suddenly punch her older sister, what would she think? I know that I wouldn't want to be near me again. She'd cling even more to Mai, and I don't think that's what we want."

Tsuna agreed with me. "Azumi's right. Hitting her wouldn't have solved anything."

"But is it okay to just let her walk away like that?" Yamamoto voiced aloud all our thoughts, and nobody knew the right answer to that. I knew that I certainly had no idea if letting Mai go off so easily like that was correct. However, I also didn't know what else I could do in that situation. It was different than when I was on my missions—those times, I acted on pure instinct and my gut feelings. I never questioned whether or not I was doing the right thing in those circumstances—it was always a matter of life or death. And yet, in such an extraordinarily normal human situation, I wasn't sure how to react appropriately.

Tsuna broke the silence. "Well, we can't say anything because we don't really know them... but if she hurts Tomoko then—"

"We won't forgive her," I said quietly. "But I don't think she physically harms Tomoko. It's more like her anger scares Tomoko—it's like she doesn't know what will make Mai mad at her, so she's always cautious about what she says."

"Maybe we can change that?" Tsuna tried suggesting.

"Tsuna's right," Yamamoto smiled widely. "Why don't we change the way Mai acts?"

Gokudera let out a scoff. "As if changing someone's personality is that easy, baseball freak."

I voiced my agreement with the dynamite user. "It's true... It'll be difficult to change someone's personality. Even if we succeed, it'll take a long time, and the chances that she'll even give us a change _to_ change her is slim."

"We won't know until we try," Yamamoto grinned.

"How, exactly, will this even be put into action?" Gokudera grumbled, trying to sort it all out.

"To be honest," I sighed, "we probably won't even do this on purpose. I'm sure that we don't really need to put it into action—once we're around Tomoko and Mai enough, maybe she'll catch on by herself."

Tsuna turned his eyes to me. "Do you really think it'll work?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, but I smiled at them. "But it's not as if any of us know the correct solution to a question that doesn't have a definite answer."

* * *

><p>"Ah, Chie!" I exclaimed as the mocha-skinned student began approaching us, files tucked under her arm and her hair still messy like always. Her crimson eyes looked up at me, and her pursed lips pulled up into a bright smile.<p>

"Azumi!" she greeted enthusiastically. Seeing the people around me, she added, "Good afternoon, Gokudera-kun, Sawada-kun, Yamamoto-kun."

"Yo!" Yamamoto's grin stretched wider.

"Who're you?" Gokudera's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"G-Good afternoon!" Tsuna returned.

"Chie's the Student Council President," I answered the genius. Turning back to her, I asked, "Do you need any help?"

She shook her head and smiled. "Not at all. I've just got to put these into the right cabinets and then I'll be done. Thank you for asking, though."

"Okay then," I laughed. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, if that's the case."

"Definitely!" Her white, straight rows of teeth flashed.

Nodding, I waved at her as she began to walk away, a gesture that she returned. When she was gone, the four of us began making our way down the hall and staircases, heading out of the school together. As we reached the main entrance and exited the school building, the warm weather struck us again. It made me miss the air conditioning that the school provided almost immediately, and I knew that I wasn't the only one thinking it.

Remembering something, I turned to face my childhood friend. "Oh, Tsuna, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked his wide eyes at me. "What's wrong?"

"I want to go eat sushi," I told him excitedly. "Can we go sometime? Yamamoto told me that his dad owns a shop. Please, Tsuna?"

His eyes widened, his lips parting slightly. He abruptly turned his face away from me, "Uh—yeah, o-one day."

"What's with that reaction?" My eyebrows furrowed, and I touched his arm. "If you don't like sushi, it's okay, Tsuna."

"That's not it," he mumbled, running a hand through his spiky hair.

That made me more perplexed. "Then what's wrong? Does Nana not like sushi? Gokudera?"

"That's not it, either," Gokudera grumbled, ignoring the way I turned my eyes to him and stared expectantly, waiting for an elaboration. He didn't expand on what he meant, even though it was obvious that I was waiting for him to.

Turning to my last hope, I looked up at Yamamoto. He glanced down at me, and his lips pulled up into a slight smile. With his hands behind his head in a carefree manner, he let out a laugh. "So, Tsuna, I didn't understand the math problems today at all. Did you?"

My mouth opened to ask them what was going on, but I shut it firmly as Tsuna responded to Yamamoto's question, sounding relieved. I was beyond mystified—their attitudes were so awkward and strange. It didn't feel right. And yet, judging from their reactions, it was definitely something they didn't want me to push them on. They all knew what was going on—like it was a secret between the three of them—and they were keeping it from me. I was almost tempted to see how far they would go to protect their little secret, but I decided not to.

After all, if it was something they _wanted _me to know, they would've already told me. Or that was what I liked to believe. So I dropped the subject, letting them change it into something completely different.

It was fun listening to what they had to say, and it wasn't long before the strange behaviour got momentarily erased from my mind.

* * *

><p><strong>AN :**

And that concludes the sixth chapter! Man, to be honest, I don't even know if Azumi's just an idiot or if she's just that ignorant anymore. -SHOT-

I apologize if there were any grammar or spelling errors, and if any of the characters were OOC. x.x"

Lots of love and thanks to;

**Wendy darling, April Marciano, Tsukuda Sumiko, and Yorukifon**

You guys are absolutely amazing for reviewing for me, so thank you so much! (:

Also, thanks a lot to those of you who alerted and favourited! It means a lot to me, too. ;D

I gotta say that out of all that chapters so far, this is probably my favourite. xD

Mm... I really don't have much to say... Except that reviews are greatly appreciated, so I'd love it if you took the time to drop me one. Or messaging me privately is alright too. Whichever floats your boat. (:

But... Yeah. Other than how I'd love it if you guys left me a review with your thoughts, there really isn't anything else. I hope you guys are all doing alright in school. HAHA.

Hopefully, I'll see you guys soon! (:

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	7. Periods of Doubt

**Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does. I also don't own anything that you may recognize!**

**A/N :**

Hey, guys! It's actually been quite a while since I last updated, and I'm sorry! Man, I had wanted to update this story every week, and _that_ goal lasted for, like, three weeks before I started slipping behind schedule. OTL.

But anyways, here I am!

Sorry for taking longer than expected, guys! I hope that you guys like the chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER SEVEN;<strong>

_"Periods of Doubt"_

* * *

><p>"I'll get it!" I called, leaving the leaving room where I had been with I-Pin to greet the people who waited behind the door of the Sawada household. Reaching it, I unlocked the silver bolt before grasping the handle and pulling it open. I was surprised, but it wasn't an unpleasant surprise. "Good morning, Gokudera, Yamamoto!"<p>

Gokudera had his hands inside the pockets of his jeans. "Where's the Tenth?"

"Yo, Azumi!" Yamamoto greeted cheerfully.

Opening the door wider, I beamed at them as they entered the household easily, as if they had done it a million times before. I addressed the silver-haired dynamite user, "Tsuna should be up in his room if you're looking for him."

He turned his head away and placed his foot on the first step before pausing. Glancing at me over his shoulder, his eyebrows pulled together. "Where are you going?"

"Out. Since I came late Sunday night and had school for the entire week, I didn't get to wander around Namimori yet. It's been two years, so I've been wondering if anything changed since the last time I came. I've been waiting for Saturday to come around, and now that it has, I'm so excited. I-Pin's coming, too," I informed them with a wide grin.

"Oh, that's right," Yamamoto blinked and smiled. "It's only been a week since you've been at Namimori."

Gokudera grumbled, "I didn't even notice."

"That's because all of you feel as if Azumi's been around for much longer than she really has," Reborn piped, falling from the top of the staircase and landing on Gokudera's shoulder. He used it as a stepping stone, propelling himself farther to land on Yamamoto's shoulder. The fedora-wearing infant then settled himself into a sitting position, his favour to Yamamoto's shoulder very clear.

"Reborn!" Tsuna exclaimed, stumbling slightly down the stairs.

"Hey there, kid," Yamamoto gave his lively salutations. "'Morning, Tsuna!"

Whirling to Tsuna, Gokudera absolutely shone. "Good morning, Tenth!"

Tsuna only had a flicker of mild surprise on his face before he smiled at them. "Good morning, Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto. What are you guys doing here?"

"I had some free time on my hands so I wanted to come see how you were doing," Gokudera explained. He then jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at a smiling Yamamoto. "And then I met this baseball freak who, coincidentally, was also coming over."

"Ah, is that so?" Tsuna looked sheepish. "Actually, I told Azumi and I-Pin that I'd go shopping with them today." His eyes darted towards me, and I couldn't help but let out a small laugh—he hadn't wanted to come on his own will. Rather, Reborn didn't give him a choice whether or not to come.

Gokudera seemed as if he had been slapped in the face. He covered up his expression quickly though, and instead said through gritted teeth, "I guess I don't have a choice... If the Tenth's going, so am I."

"Oh? Count me in," Yamamoto smiled warmly, his hand moving from the strap of the bag that held his Shigure Kintoki up to the back of his head.

My lips pulled upwards. "It'll be nice to spend time with everyone outside of school."

Tsuna considered it for a moment before he nodded and smiled softly. "You're right."

"Remember not to let your guards down," Reborn warned, his arms folded across his small chest. He stared hard at me for a moment before his eyes shifted over to Tsuna. "Some of you have the tendency to do so."

"D-Don't look at me like that." Tsuna's eyes were both dejected and terrified.

"Don't worry, Reborn-san," Gokudera spoke confidently. He placed the hand that held the Vongola Ring on his chest. "No matter what happens, I'll protect the Tenth."

Reborn's eyes flickered to the dynamite user. "That's easier said than done, Gokudera."

"It's fine, it's fine," Yamamoto brushed off the warning effortlessly. "We're all going to be together."

"Yamamoto's right," I agreed, smiling at Reborn. "I'm sure that we'll be fine."

I-Pin came into the foyer, turning her head between all of us. "What's wrong?" Her eyebrows pushed together and she gave me a worried glance.

Shaking my head, I reached over and picked her up, wrapping my arms around her small waist and having her back face me. She was light, her petite body not difficult to carry in the least. "Nothing's wrong, I-Pin. Is it okay if Yamamoto and Gokudera join us today as well?"

"Yes!" she agreed wholeheartedly, her lips pulling upwards. "Together!"

Reborn's mild grimace twisted up into a small smile. "Well," his voice was lighter than before, "I suppose that kicking back for a day won't be so bad."

Yamamoto grinned, his eyes shifting to me. "Now that we've got that settled, is there anywhere you want to go, Azumi?"

I gave it some thought, wracking my brain for any specific destinations. It didn't take me very long to realize there wasn't anywhere in particular I wanted to go, because I wanted to see all of Namimori all over again. "Not really. How about we all just walk around? It's a nice day today, too."

"You're the one who wanted to go out, but you don't even know where you want to go?" Gokudera's slightly rough voice muttered.

"Sorry," I apologized.

"Don't apologize when you can't even sound sincere about it!" Gokudera reprimanded, agitation leaking into his gruff, but soothing voice. His lips were pursed as he looked at me with narrowed jade eyes, arms folded across his t-shirt clad chest.

I let out a small laugh. "Sorry, Gokudera."

"Now, now," Yamamoto chuckled as he held back the biting Guardian who was shouting things at me that I could only smile at. "Calm down, Gokudera. It's okay, isn't it? It's been a while since she's been here, after all."

"Is there anywhere recommended?" I inquired, turning to look at Tsuna.

He made a thoughtful sound, scratching his head absentmindedly as he considered it. It wasn't long before he came to a conclusion, though. Shaking his head, Tsuna smiled at me slightly. "Truthfully, nothing in Namimori really changed in the past two years. All those places are still where they've always been, and we went to visit them the last time you came."

I wasn't necessarily surprised. "I see..."

"I-Pin wants to go somewhere!" the gifted martial artist exclaimed, causing all eyes to turn to her.

"Why don't you tell us, I-Pin?" Tsuna encouraged with a gentle smile. It was a smile that didn't show teeth, nor was it extremely bright and wide. Yet it conveyed a certain warmth that made him look as if he was glowing, even if it was just slightly.

"Shopping!" I-Pin chirped. "Street shops!"

Taken aback, Tsuna gazed at I-Pin with a slightly agape mouth. "T-That's it?" The simplicity of it all must've been what shocked the brunette the most. It was also probably due to the fact that they visited that area often, so it was strange that she wanted to go there once again when she could be taken somewhere else.

I-Pin bobbed her head up and down. Seeing the look on the descendant of Giotto, her eyes clouded over slightly. "No good?"

"N-No!" Tsuna denied instantly, his voice a bit louder than usual due to the urgency he had said the word with. When I-Pin looked back at him doubtfully and more than just a bit confused, he tried to elaborate. "I-It's just that... Well..."

"I think what Tsuna's trying to say," I picked up for him, glancing down at the Chinese infant that I held in my arms, "is that it's just kind of surprising, since you guys go there often. Is there anything specific you want to get, I-Pin?"

I-Pin shook her head. "I-Pin not sure. Go to check!"

"Is it a present for someone?" Tsuna questioned curiously.

"I don't remember it being anyone's birthday anytime soon." Yamamoto's eyes, almost a shade of topaz, were beneath slightly furrowed eyebrows. "Do you remember anything of that sort, Gokudera?"

The Guardian turned his head away. "Don't ask something as stupid as that. If it was someone's birthday, I'd definitely remember."

"It's okay—it shouldn't really matter," I pointed out. "After all, it's I-Pin's choice, right? Maybe we don't know who the person is."

"Azumi's right." Tsuna walked farther into the foyer, taking out his pair of shoes from the rack. He began slipping them on, briefly looking up at us as he tied his laces. "We should get going. I'm sure that I-Pin wants to have a lot of time to look at the shops."

"Xiexie," I-Pin beamed. I set her down and she hurried over to get her shoes as well. Gokudera and Yamamoto, who had only just taken off their footwear, had to retreat and go through the hassle of putting them back on. While Yamamoto didn't seem to mind, Gokudera's scowling face said that he thought it was a nuisance. Nonetheless, he didn't say anything to disrupt the happy atmosphere. Slipping on my black flats only took about two seconds, so I waited for the rest of them to finish up.

Tsuna looked over his shoulder at everyone, a hand placed on the handle of the door. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yes," we all chimed together, sharing amused looks.

The sky was a baby blue, but there were scarcely any clouds drifting along. The sun was up high and shining almost furiously down on us, the weather more than just a little bit warm. Nonetheless, it was still too cool to be considered hot. A flock of birds in a "v" formation flew overhead, their chirps and caws just a whisper in the background compared to the numerous people that, like us, had decided to go out for the weekend and take advantage of the good weather.

"It's so sunny," I commented as I tilted my head up to stare at the wide expanse of bright sapphire that stretched over us. The sun's rays got in my eyes, and I squinted, trying to see.

"Well, it _is _mid-June now." Tsuna walked alongside I-Pin—who I was carrying once again—and I, his light coffee hair catching the light sometimes and making it appear more blond than brown.

I let out a small laugh. "That's true. When I visited last time, it was winter, right?"

Tsuna didn't need to think about it. "Yeah. I remember 'cause we celebrated your birthday with us."

A laugh spilled from my lips that then tugged upwards. I remembered that day well—we had so much fun, all four of us. The cake that Nana had made was absolutely delicious, and it was just my favourite too—chocolate fudge ice cream cake. Even though many people found it unsuitable to eat ice cream when it was so cold, the Sawada family didn't seem to mind. Tsuna, of course, found it a little strange, but nonetheless complied to it easily. I remembered all the laughter we had that night, especially when Iemitsu, who had been tipping his chair back to rest on the last two legs, had lost balance and face-planted right into his own piece.

"Ah, so Azumi's birthday is during winter time?" Yamamoto grinned down at me brightly.

Nodding, I specified, "It's December eighteenth."

"So that makes you the youngest out of all of us, right?" the baseball player, who was on my other side, had his light orbs flicker down towards me.

"You idiot," Gokudera said. "The youngest would be I-Pin or the stupid cow."

Chortling, Yamamoto agreed, "That's true. I meant between all of us who attend Nami Middle, though."

"Nobody has a birthday later than mine?" I inquired, not entirely surprised. It wasn't like I had never met anyone with a birthday later than mine, but a large majority of people my age had birthdays earlier than mine. It wasn't as if I believed it truly mattered whether or not they were a few months older, but sometimes, the lateness of my birthday made me uneasy.

Shaking his head, Tsuna tilted his head up to look up at the sky slightly. "I don't think so..."

"You _look _the part," Gokudera commented, his hands stuck in the pockets of his light, slightly faded blue jeans. He wasn't looking at me, but straight ahead at the road in front of us. "You're tiny."

"I'm _not_," I objected, glancing at the three males that I was walking with—excluding Reborn who was merely listening, an amused smile playing across his lips. I noticed that I was definitely the shortest out of our clique. Even Tsuna was taller, and the last time we had visited, I had been at least inch taller, if not more. However, he seemed to have surpassed me by an inch this time around. It was almost as if all of them were thinking along the same train of thought as I was, because they all shot me different kinds of looks that expressed the same kind of message.

"W-Well..." Tsuna trailed off. "You didn't really grow much taller."

"You guys are all just tall," I repeated what I had told Yamamoto before, when he had remarked on my height as well. I really wasn't incredibly short—I had passed the five feet mark by _at least _an inch. Not wanting to speak of the topic much more, I hauled all of us back onto the topic of our birthdays. "If I'm youngest, who's the oldest?"

Gokudera's tone was displeased. "Hibari."

"Ah!" I drew in a sharp breath of air in understanding, surprised that the age of the Cloud Guardian had slipped my mind. I had always known that he wasn't the same age as the four of us, but I wasn't sure how much older or younger he was, though I doubted he was the latter. "So that makes Ryohei the second oldest?"

Tsuna made a sound of agreement. "Onii-san's a year older than us."

"I see," I murmured. "Then does this mean Tsuna's second youngest? Since your birthday is in October?" I had, of course, read through their profiles before coming, but I hadn't paid much attention to those small details that were easy to get and understand. What I had been focusing more on was their abilities and their history with Tsuna. I knew that Squalo would probably get frustrated and hit me for being so flippant when it came to a mission. Bel, on the other hand, would snicker and laugh at me for forgetting about their birthdays when he could've easily and effortlessly imprinted all the details of the Tenth's Guardians within a second, being the genius he was.

"I think so?" The words that left the Vongola successor's mouth sounded more like a question than a statement.

"You're wrong," Reborn said, causing all eyes to slide over to the hitman. "Stupid Tsuna, you don't even know the birthdays of your Guardians?"

Tsuna looked slightly taken aback. "All of us haven't even been together all that long!"

"Eh?" I blinked up at the Arcobaleno. "There's someone younger than Tsuna?"

"You haven't met her yet, Azumi," Reborn informed me, his arms folded across his small chest. His lips were pulled up into a half-smirk, half-smile. "The Guardian of the Mist, that is."

"Ah! That's right," Yamamoto nodded his head with a slight, reflective smile. "You haven't met Chrome yet, have you?"

Shaking my head, I replied, "No, I haven't. She doesn't go to Nami Middle, does she? Unless the information I got was incorrect."

"You obviously haven't met her yet, idiot," Gokudera replied. His voice was curt. "For once, be smart and take my advice; you probably wouldn't want to meet the Mist Guardian, anyways."

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna scolded.

Yamamoto, as well, didn't seem to quite understand the hostility that Gokudera held. "What's wrong with Chrome, Gokudera? She seems fine to me."

"Rather than Chrome," Gokudera's voice held a growl to it, "the problem is more like Rokudo Mukuro, that bastard. I still can't believe that he's officially a Guardian now. Someone like him—thinking about it makes my blood boil."

"I heard about that," I stated as we all rounded a corner. "Chrome and Mukuro... They have such an unusual relationship. I don't think I've ever heard about that before." It sounded almost as if they were in each other's soul—like he was a _part_of her and she was a part of him, no matter what happened. As far as I knew, it never happened before. Or, if it had, it was never recorded into books, nor was it ever passed down from generation to generation through stories. It made me wonder if it was a special ability that only Mukuro had.

Gokdera scoffed. "Tch. The word 'unusual' doesn't even cover it."

"To think that Mukuro is the one keeping Chrome alive..." Tsuna's eyes were downcast. His hands clenched into fists, his lips thinning for a moment. Watching him, I wasn't sure what to think.

Slinging an arm over Tsuna's shoulders, I pulled him closer to me and smiled at his surprised expression. "It's okay, Tsuna. I'm sure that everything will work out. After all, Chrome is someone important to Mukuro, right? I'm excited to meet the final Guardian, whether it's Chrome _or_ Mukuro."

"Azumi..." he trailed off.

"Azumi correct!" I-Pin piped for the first time since we left the household. She looked up at Tsuna with a bright, believing smile, though she had an air of worry about her. "No look sad, all together!"

Tsuna's eyes softened at the words of the martial artist. "You're right, I-Pin, Azumi."

"We're here!" Yamamoto grinned, spreading his arms in a flourish as we entered the street that held most of the big stores and shops.

I laughed, the smile on my face wide as I took everything in. A lot of people were crowding together on the streets, friends laughing and chatting together in large groups. Children ran about, their parents calling after them. A bright and cheery atmosphere was surrounding the entire place.

"I-Pin, is there a shop you'd want to look at first?" Tsuna addressed the infant.

But I-Pin didn't seem to be listening. Her head wasn't turned towards the glove user, but rather at something else. We all followed the direction in which she was staring, and I blinked my eyes in minor disbelief.

Walking down the street towards us, a certain prefect had ditched his Nami Middle uniform and instead had opted for a pair of dark, almost completely black, jeans and a casual navy blue blazer that was unbuttoned, showing the plain white v-neck shirt he had on underneath. The sleeves were all rolled up to his elbows, his eyes closed as if he was trying to tune out all the noise or to prevent himself from seeing all the crowds in the area. The deep grimace on his face informed us that either way, it clearly wasn't working.

"Hibari?" the awe and confusion was in my voice. I never thought I'd see him in a place like this. For someone who despised people clumping together, coming to a place like this was definitely not the right move. And since he was here much longer than I was, I had no doubt he knew this as well.

He was too far to hear, so he didn't make any moves to come up to us and rip our heads off. Instead, he stopped in front of a certain store—which I couldn't quite see—and stared at it for a moment before walking in. Before I could take in which store he had entered, I felt I-Pin turn in the arms and hug me tightly.

"I-Pin?" I questioned, confused.

There was no response from the adorable little girl, but instead, Tsuna's panicked voice shouted, "Pinzu-Timed Bomb! Hurry, Azumi, give me her!" He didn't even wait for a response, but instead, roughly grabbed her from me. She clung onto him, and I watched in slight amusement and horror as he threw her up into the sky as hard as he could.

We watched as there was suddenly a bright light in the sky, followed by the thunderous sound of a bomb exploding. Some shoppers were confused as well, but they decided that there was nothing of it and continued on with what they were doing.

"Nice one, Tenth!" Gokudera praised excitedly. "I expected nothing less!"

"That was a good throw, Tsuna," Yamamoto laughed. "We should play baseball together sometime. You'd make a great pitcher."

Tsuna, who still looked a bit sick from throwing I-Pin, seemed to pale even more when the katana-wielding male had mentioned playing baseball together. "N-No, it's okay."

"So _that's _her Pinzu-Timed Bomb?" I blinked at them. "It's even more amazing than I heard. But that was so sudden... Why did she suddenly activate it? Did I do something wrong?" My eyebrows furrowed together as I stared expectantly at the males in front of me.

"That's not it," Tsuna reassured me.

"I-Pin can't control her Pinzu-Timed Super Explosion," Reborn notified me. "It happens when she gets really, really shy. Hibari has that kind of effect on her."

My eyes widened at the implication, and my hands flew up to cover my mouth. "You mean I-Pin—"

"Has a huge crush on Hibari," Tsuna confirmed, looking more than a little dead.

"Though what she sees in that guy, we have no idea," Gokudera grumbled, eyes unhappy. "He's so unwilling to be part of the Family."

Reborn stated matter-of-factly, "That's why he's absolutely perfect for the role of Guardian of the Cloud. I have to say, I never expected to see Hibari here, though."

"For a guy who hates crowds," Yamamoto smiled slightly, "it's definitely strange. But Hibari's human too, so I don't think we should all be that surprised."

I let out a laugh. "It's nice to know he doesn't spend all his time at home or Nami Middle. I never thought I'd see Hibari in casual clothing, though. It looks nice. Although, you know... I-Pin was the one who wanted to get something here..."

"T-That's right!" Tsuna exclaimed, twitching. The expression on his face told us that he wanted to slam his head into a nearby wall.

"He always stirs up trouble," Gokudera muttered. "That Hibari."

"This way is fine as well, isn't it?" Yamamoto grinned. "Since we're already here, we can always just look around. After all, there might be some things that Azumi would like."

Tilting my head at the Storm Guardian, I questioned, "Are you busy today, Gokudera?"

"Don't look at me like that!" he growled, whipping his head to face the opposite direction. "And don't flatter yourself! I'm not here for _you_."

Seeing the dignified look on his face, I laughed a bit. "I didn't forget—you're Tsuna's right-hand man, right?"

"That's right!" he agreed proudly. "There's no doubt abo—"

"Hahi! Tsuna-san!" a loud, shouting voice interrupted what Gokudera was going to say.

Twisting his body around, he growled, "Don't interrupt what I was going to say, you stupid woman!"

The dark chocolate-haired girl let out an offended gasp. "Haru is _not _a stupid woman!"

"Kyoko!" Tsuan greeted, his voice a bit louder due to his surprise. "Haru! What are you guys doing here?"

"We decided we'd check out the brand new cake that they have today!" Haru explained cheerfully, turning her back to a seething Gokudera. She beamed at Tsuna, her face tinted with a flush. "How about you join us as well, Tsuna-san?"

"E-Eh?"

"Yeah, that'll be fun!" Kyoko smiled, her entire face lighting up even more. Tsuna could only stare at her as she continued, "Everyone else should come along as well!"

"That's a great idea!" Haru beamed, grabbing Tsuna's arm affectionately. I watched in amusement as he stared at her, mumbling something while he tried to pull his arm away from her grasp, only to have her hold onto him tighter.

The kind orange-haired girl turned to look at me. "Good afternoon, Azumi-chan! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here with everyone."

"Sorry if I'm intruding," I apologized, offering a slight tilt of my lips.

Quickly, the girl shook her head and reached out, taking my hand gently in hers. It startled me, and I almost pulled my hand back as a natural reaction, but as my eyes snapped up to meet hers in the process, the smile she had on her face prevented me from doing so.

"Don't say that," she lightly chided. "It'll be a lot of fun! We haven't spoken much, so this will be a great chance to get to know you better. I'm sure that Haru feels the same way, too!"

"I-I see," I stammered, still shocked. I felt my face warm slightly, and my tensed figure relaxed slightly due to her soft smile. "If that's okay with everyone, then I don't see any reason to object."

"Isn't this great?" Yamamoto smiled down at me. "Everyone's going to be together. It'll be a blast."

I mirrored the look on his face, letting a laugh escape me in the process. "Yeah. It'll be really fun."

"Let's go, everyone!" Haru exclaimed, her arm still linked with Tsuna's. She waved her free arm up in the air, her eyes bright and her expression lively. "The cake store is this way! Let's all get some sweets together!"

"Who said we wanted to go to a cake store?" Gokudera demanded, stepping on the mundane human's toes easily.

Haru held her head up high and turned to face the opposite direction from the dynamite user. "Nobody asked _you _to come along."

Gokudera's irritation rose up a few notches, his fists clenching into fists. "Why you—"

"Gokudera-kun," Tsuna interrupted with a hesitant smile. "Do you not like sweets?"

And just like that, the Storm Guardian stopped himself from raising his hackles. "I-It's not that I don't like sweets, Tenth."

"Then don't look so upset," Yamamoto laughed, leaving my side to stride up to the other Guardian. The baseball player turned his head slightly, his eyes shifting to glance at me from the corner of his eye. His eyes smiled, telling me he was leaving me in Kyoko's care for the moment, before he turned back to the jade-eyed male.

"They sure get along well," Kyoko commented, giggling a little as her light topaz eyes fell onto the group in front of us, arguing and laughing with one another. Despite that, the atmosphere that embraced them was light and warm instead of dark and cold. Apparently, it wasn't only me who had thought so.

My lips stretched. "Definitely."

* * *

><p>"Sorry, I-Pin," I apologized to the martial artist. "Even though you wanted to go and buy something for your friend, you ended up not being able to."<p>

She shook her head at me. "I-Pin at fault. Next time, I-Pin will get! No say sorry, it's okay."

"Are you sure?" I bit down on my lower lip, staring at the petite form in front of me. Even though I had a lot of fun with everyone—we had all gone to the cake shop and eaten before merely roaming the streets full of stores with each other, laughing and talking—I still felt a guilty as to what had happened with I-Pin. She was, after all, the reason we had all gone there in the first place.

Bobbing her head up and down, she smiled.

"Then let's go again soon, okay?" I suggested, returning her smile with one of my own. "We'll definitely help you get the present you need for your friend."

"Okay," she didn't argue, but instead, her lips pulled up a bit more. "Xiexie."

Blinking down at her, I started, "I heard about your Pinzu-Timed Super Explosion from Tsuna and Reborn. If you don't mind, can I ask you something? It's not about the secret to the technique, I promise."

Her analyzing eyes looked me over or a moment, before she nodded her head again, telling me to go on.

"Well... I was wondering, what about Hibari makes you so shy?" The question left my lips easily, blurting themselves out and into the open where they hung in the air between the little girl and myself. Even though I had my suspicions, I felt like I should make sure of them before jumping to conclusions. After all, doing something like that could cause great deals of trouble or confusion and misunderstandings in the future.

Her face turned dark tomato red and she looked away from me. With her head turned away, she fiddled with her fingers and the sleeves of her Chinese-styled clothing. "I-Pin... I-Pin..."

She was struggling with her words, and I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. She was so adorable, I couldn't help it. "Do you like Hibari, I-Pin?"

If it were possible, she got redder. I almost saw steam rising off from her head and coming out furiously from her ears. She froze at my prompt almost like she was a deer caught in headlights, and beads of sweat started to gather along her head.

"It's not a bad thing!" I exclaimed, waving my hands in front of me to further emphasize that fact. I was worried that she didn't want to say anything due to the fact she thought none of us got along with the prefect. "And it's not like you can help the way you feel, right? I'm sorry if I'm butting into your business, I-Pin."

Unfreezing herself, she slowly shook her head. Her skin was still flushed deeply as she turned to face me again, but she seemed to have a bit more nerve. "W-Wrong. Azumi not butting into business." She paused, fiddling with her fingers once more before her head slowly, very slowly, bobbed up and down once. "I-I-Pin likes... likes..." It was as if she couldn't say his name.

Smiling, I gave her a sudden hug. She let out an unexpected yelp, but when the surprise of it died down, she wrapped her arms around me in return. When I put her back onto her feet again, I was beaming. "That's really great, I-Pin! I'm glad that you're not getting affected by all the males in the household and deciding that they're not worth it."

Confused, I-Pin's head cocked to one side. "Why I-Pin think that?"

"Because now you've realized how it is to live with males," I answered very seriously. "Trust me, there was this one time two years ago when I swore I'd never get married. Living with the people in Varia have scarred me a bit. Back then, I didn't want to fall in love 'cause I believed all the males were the same as the ones I knew." Pausing, I quickly reassured her, "But I got over that phase."

"That's good!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "Azumi like anyone?"

Shaking my head, I let out a small laugh. "Not in that way. Not yet, at least. But I have a lot of people that I love as friends and family."

"Why not?"

That was definitely a question that I had been hoping she wouldn't ask. My smile became slightly strained as I searched frantically for some sort of half-assed excuse that wouldn't be an entire lie, nor the entire truth. Eventually, I settled with a, "I don't think I've met my Prince Charming yet."

Her eyebrows furrowed together slightly. "Prince Charming?"

Nodding, I explained, "In fairy tales where there are lots of princesses, they all have someone special to come and save them, and that's usually the person they fall in love with. The princess and the prince just seem to have a lot of chemistry and they get along really well, almost as if they're meant to be together. Prince Charming comes and sweeps her off her feet, you know? But I don't think I've ever met someone that resembles my Prince Charming yet."

It was clear from her expression that she didn't understand half of the things I said, but she looked like she was trying hard to decipher my words. Nodding solemnly, she said, "I-Pin wish Azumi luck! Prince Charming definitely come!"

Laughing, I pulled her into an embrace once more. "Thank you, I-Pin! I hope that you find your happy ending with your Prince Charming, too."

"Yes!" Her lips stretched up into a wide smile. Her face was still delicately tainted with a rosy shade, but she seemed less tense than she had been earlier when we first approached the topic.

"I-Pin!" Lambo's shouting voice could be heard despite the fact he was downstairs and we were in Tsuna's room with the door almost entirely closed. "I-Pin, where are you? Lambo-san wants to play!"

"You better go," I told the petite girl with a smile. "It'll be fun to play with Lambo, right?"

She nodded her head. "I-Pin go. See Azumi at dinner!"

"Definitely," I agreed, waving a hand at her. "Have fun and be careful!"

I-Pin nodded and returned my gesture before she opened up the door and swerved on her heels, running down the steps towards the cow-suited infant that was sure to be impatient. I could almost imagine him teasing I-Pin and showing his displeasure at her sudden disappearance.

"You know," I started as I stared amusedly at the slightly ajar door, "eavesdropping on girl-to-girl talk isn't the best idea, right?"

Letting out a hesitant, sheepish laugh, Tsuna unhurriedly entered the room. His hand was on the back of his head, his smile forced and apologetic. "S-So you knew..."

"Of course," I answered easily, letting out a laugh. Seeing the look on his face, I shook my head at him and stated, "I'm not mad at you, Tsuna. I mean, it was already regarding something you knew, anyways. I'm sure there isn't anything that I-Pin revealed that wasn't already known to you."

My childhood friend shut the door behind him and approached me, plopping down onto his floor right next to the bed so that he could lean his back against it. There was hardly half a foot of space between the two of us, but neither of us was uncomfortable with it. In fact, things like that hardly even crossed our minds anymore. Perhaps it was just simply because I was a person that didn't really care about physical contact—in fact, I was one of those people that loved it. While Tsuna, shy and too generous for his own good, was more reserved when it came to things like hugging and things that involved closeness.

The time we spent together, however, seemed to have eased him of that when around me. I remembered that at first, he had blushed crazily and always wanted a large amount of space between us, but he gradually got used to it. It got to the point where we were at now, where it hardly even registered in our minds.

"That's true," he let out a sigh, "but that doesn't mean I still don't feel kind of bad about it. And besides, rather than I-Pin, I heard stuff from you as well."

My eyes blinked at him in slight bewilderment. "What are you talking about?"

His face turned a bit pink. "The whole 'Prince Charming' thing. Argh, why did you have to implant weird ideas into my head?" He ran a hand through his hair, a dejected look coming onto his face.

For a moment, I stared at him uncomprehendingly. I had no how I had put strange ideas into his head. It didn't really make sense to me. However, the more I looked at him, the clearer everything became until it all clicked into place in my brain.

A light laugh spilled from my lips, and I grinned at him as he looked at me, face still slightly flushed. "I see how it is, Tsuna."

His eyes widened. "W-What?"

"So this is about you and Kyoko, is it?" I couldn't help the loud laughter that left me when his jaw dropped down onto the floor and his eyes widened until they looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets due to their size. His face just turned redder, a shy look entering his soft and handsome features.

"N-No!" he protested weakly, no real bite in his voice. When I gave him a look, he let out a loud groan and demanded, "How did you _know_?"

"Give me more credit," I chided him lightly, slinging an arm across his shoulders. "I notice more than you'd think. Besides, with the way you look at her, it's hard not to—"

He slapped his hand over my mouth, preventing me from speaking. "Okay, that's enough!"

Prying his hand off my mouth, I grinned at him brightly. "I never said it's a _bad_ thing to like her, Tsuna. I think she's a great girl."

"I don't want to hear that from you," he complained. "Even if you think that, it doesn't change anything. Lots of guys like her, too. I don't stand a chance." There was a resigning note that rang in his voice, his lips pulling downwards slightly.

Realization hit me. "Was this about the whole 'Prince Charming' thing I was talking about earlier?"

The brunette remained silent, but his facial expression told me he wanted to let his head fall and slam onto the table in front of him.

"Tsuna," I murmured, my arm tightening around his shoulders. When his eyes slid over to meet mine, I smiled at him softly. "Everyone's Prince Charming is different. Not all girls want guys that can slay dragons or search all over the world for her. Some girls are fine with just simple things. You might not wield a sword and wear armour, but you know... You're a prince all on your own—one with gloves and special clothing made by a chameleon."

His facial expression had been brightening slightly, hope returning to his eyes, until I mentioned his clothes and Leon. The sparkling look had been wiped off completely, and he let out another groan. "That didn't make me feel much better at all!"

Not fazed by his words, I continued, "Besides, Tsuna, you need to think of it this way. While _you_ might not think you're anything special, it's different for a girl that has no idea about the mafia thing. I'm pretty sure that Kyoko thinks you're cool, despite your nickname. And it's not as if she'd still stick with you if she didn't like you—whether as a friend or something more—right?"

"She's kind," Tsuna let out a big sigh. "She'd probably just hang around to be polite. And besides, Onii-san's always with us, and she worries about him a lot."

"You're wrong," I disagreed. "You're just really oblivious, Tsuna."

He looked a bit doubtful. "Me? About what?"

"A lot of things," I vaguely answered. Like how, despite not noticing, there were girls who stared at him in class or while he walked through the hallways. Or like how, while he doesn't have a large fan base like Yamamoto or Gokudera, there were more people starting to acknowledge him and pay attention to him.

He was oblivious to the fact that little by little, people were beginning to get drawn to him.

"That's not helpful at all," he criticized, still crestfallen. Not even aware of it, he leaned against me, leaning his head against mine softly.

"Don't look so down, Tsuna." I poked his cheek with the finger that was connected to the arm that was resting over his shoulders. "Trust me. You can't give up on something like this. Didn't you hear Yamamoto say something similar to, 'you'll never know until you try' before?"

He inhaled deeply, puffing his cheeks out for a moment before letting the air out of his mouth. "Yeah, I guess so."

"You don't sound enthusiastic about it," I reproached.

Tsuna let out a small chuckle and pulled away slightly to smile softly at me. "Yeah, yeah, Azumi. I got it." His voice held a bit more strength in it this time, though it was still not as determined as I had hoped. Nonetheless, it was a start for the Vongola successor, and I reflected his expression.

A knock on the door pulled us both away from our conversation, and Fuuta's tenor voice flowed smoothly to our ears, filling the room along the way. "Tsuna-nii, Azumi-nee, Mama says dinner's ready."

"Alright, we'll be right down," Tsuna told the ranking genius. "Thanks, Fuuta!"

"Come soon!" Fuuta urged excitedly. "It's going to be hot pot tonight!"

I let out a laugh. "We're coming, Fuuta. Go ahead and take a seat first." As I said this, Tsuna was already standing up, straightening his clothes out slightly. He offered me a hand, which I gladly accepted, and he hauled me up to my feet.

"Okay!" Fuuta's voice said before the sound of hasty footsteps was heard.

"They're so enthusiastic," Tsuna commented, sounding tired.

I let out a laugh, my feet already finished carrying me to Tsuna's door. "It's a good thing, isn't it? Come on, let's go before Lambo eats all the meat."

His lips pulled upwards. "Yeah, let's go."

And I grinned at him as the two of us made our descent towards the kitchen where Lambo's thunderous laughter resonated through the entire house.

* * *

><p><strong>AN : **

Well, yeah. This concludes the seventh chapter of You, Who Will Never be Bound. Even though there wasn't a ton of Hibari in it, I still had a lot of fun writing this. xD I loved writing the last bit; the Tsuna and Azumi moment. Ah, gosh. He's too cute. Maybe it's just me. -grins-

I apologize for any OOCness, spelling and grammar mistakes, and the like!

Lots of love and thanks to;

**Yorukifon, Tsukuda Sumiko, 10th Squad 3rd Seat, Hopelesslyhope, Bree Renee, and Youknowwhothisis**

You guys are amazing for reviewing for me, so thank you so much! (:

Also, a lot of thanks to everyone who alerted and favourited! It means a lot to me, too.

**Please review for me! (:** I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story, even if it's a complaint or something. The motivation I get from my readers from what they write in their reviews is what keeps me writing, so... YEAH. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, and they really actually _do_make me write faster than usual. I'd love to hear from you guys! I don't bite, so feel free to drop me something! -grins-

See you guys until next time!

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	8. Hidden in the Shadows

**Disclaimer : No, I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does.**

**A/N :**

Here's the next chapter in You, Who Will Never be Bound!

ENJOY! (:

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><p><strong>CHAPTER EIGHT;<strong>

_"Hidden in the Shadows"_

* * *

><p>I covered my mouth with a hand as I yawned, my free hand sliding open the reception room's door. When my dark eyes scanned the room, they landed on the figure that was stretched along the length of the onyx couch, his legs long enough to hang off the edge of the armrest a bit. Instead of using his arms as his pillow like he usually did, he had taken one of the matching black cushions that had been on the couch, resting his head on it.<p>

My lips curled upwards at the sight, and I closed the door as quietly as I could to prevent him from waking up, although I wouldn't be surprised if he was already awake. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm though, his expression more neutral than I had ever seen.

Taking notice of the stack of paperwork that was on the desk, I wandered over to the piece of large and polished furniture, placing my bag down onto the floor next to it. I sat down on the large, black leather swivel chair and blinked my hazy eyes down at the papers in front of me. They had all been signed already, meaning they had already been completed by him. For a moment, I was surprised—after all, it must have taken at least over an hour and half to finish it all. However, I remembered that I had come in a lot later than usual today.

For the past two days, I hadn't been getting a lot of rest. Early Sunday morning, when the sky was no longer entirely dark, I had woken up and scouted some places in Namimori, trying to find the enemy base. Even though I was sent as a spectator, that didn't necessarily mean I couldn't do my own thing. Since summer was starting, the days were getting longer and the nights shorter, so I had been awake since around five in the morning after sleeping at two.

Sunday had passed by in a breeze—after I had gotten back before anyone noticed, the morning went by as usual. Bianchi had left for some business in Italy, so breakfast had been more marvelous than usual since her poison cooking was absent, and then Tsuna and I had went to watch Yamamoto's baseball practice. We had met Chie there, and all three of us grouped together to wait until it was over, laughing and talking. Afterward, Yamamoto, Tsuna, and I had visited Tomoko's house, but nobody had been home, so we turned back towards Tsuna's place, bumping into Gokudera along the way. The rest of the day had gone by in a flash, the four of us just hanging out with one another.

This morning as well, I had woken up as soon as I could—the minute the sky wasn't blanketed by darkness anymore, I had left to inspect Namimori. I still hadn't found anything remotely suspicious, and it was beginning to get frustrating. Although I already knew that there was no way their base would be so easily located, I still couldn't help but feel so agitated.

Judging from the way things were going—there had practically been zero progress—I would be waking up much earlier than "early" to continue my exploration of the area. I wasn't looking forward to it, but the fact that nothing had happened in an entire week made me anxious and more than a little suspicious.

I glanced at the sleeping prefect and let out a soft sigh, my eyelids feeling heavy. The chair itself was pretty comfy, and I folded my arms onto the desk in front of me. Resting my head in my arms, I let out another stifled yawn before letting the drowsiness overtake me.

* * *

><p>The sound of the door sliding open rather roughly and a loud, smooth voice calling, "Hibari-san!" had me jolting awake at the desk. Startled at the abrupt sound, my feet shifted, hitting one of the legs of the swivel chair. In turn, it slid backwards, and before I even knew it, I had tumbled onto the floor ungracefully, my head narrowly missing the corner of the large desk.<p>

Any grogginess that had fogged my brain instantly dissipated as my tailbone and left elbow throbbed. I blinked my eyes, confused about what was happening, and they stared at the pair of black shoes that appeared in front of me.

"I'm sorry," the same voice said. A hand stretched out, and I followed it up to the owner. He had dark hair crafted into a regent style that pulled at my memory, and his eyes held surprise as well as concern in them. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Shaking my head, I gripped his much larger hand with mine, and he pulled me up onto my feet swiftly and easily. "Thank you," I smiled at him. "And no, you don't have to apologize. It's my fault for sleeping here and falling off the chair anyways."

"You're..." he paused for a moment, wracking his brain for my name. I was just about to open my mouth and reintroduce myself when it sparked in his mind. "Shimizu Azumi?"

Nodding, I let out a laugh. "And you're Kusakabe Tetsuya, if I heard right the last time we met. Sorry about that, by the way. I hadn't meant to leave so abruptly, but Hibari didn't seem to be in the best of moods." Which was a complete understatement. Although I shouldn't have the right to whine about it, since I had been the one who pressed him on a subject he didn't want to speak of.

"Don't mention it," he brushed my apology away. "It's understandable."

"You agree?" I asked, the surprise laced into my tone. At his look, I hastily elaborated, "It's just that I never thought someone would speak ill of Hibari, let alone his right-hand man in the Disciplinary Committee."

His eyes darted around the room. "It's not speaking _ill_ of."

Amused, I let out a laugh and nodded my head, comprehending what he was getting at. "Are you looking for Hibari?"

"Ah!" The reason for which he barged into the room re-entered his mind, and he nodded his head, his eyes fluttering around the room. "Although it doesn't seem as if he's here."

My dark sapphire eyes zoomed in on the vacant couch that he had been resting on before I had fallen asleep. Glancing down at the desk, I noticed that nothing had been moved, either. "He was here when I came in... Have you checked the rooftop?"

Kusakabe nodded his head, the slender twig in his mouth moving as if being nibbled on. "Hibari-san wasn't there, either."

That only left one option. "Then he's probably patrolling the school right now. It'll be difficult to find him, since he could be anywhere on school grounds."

"Yeah," the older male sighed. "But I should hurry. The problem will escalate further if I don't find Hibari-san soon."

Curious, I clasped my hands together behind my back and rocked back onto my heels. "What's the problem? Maybe I can help."

His eyes skimmed me up and down, but I didn't feel as if he was doing it in a violating way. Rather, there was a scrutinizing look in his eyes, and he shook his head. "I don't think that this will be something you can help with."

I understood what _that_ meant. "So it's another brawl?"

"...Yeah," he hesitantly revealed. "It's best if you don't try and get yourself involved. They're a group of delinquents from another school here to stir up some trouble with Hibari-san, but since they haven't seen him yet, they've been terrorizing the students that had been entering through the front gates. Not a lot of our members are here yet, so it'll be troublesome without Hibari-san."

For some peculiar reason, I wasn't all that surprised at the news. After all, with Hibari's rampages, he was bound to make a large amount of enemies. His reputation around Namimori wasn't a noble one, but rather one that was bloodstained and dark.

"That," I started with a smile, "is something that I can _definitely_ handle."

"No!" he protested, blocking my way as I approached the door. "I don't think you understand, Shimizu-san. It's very dangerous, especially for someone like you."

Quirking an eyebrow, I feigned going right, and he followed my movement. I speedily ducked under his left arm where a space had been created, trying hard not to giggle. It was one of the oldest tricks in the book.

He whipped his head to stare at me, and I couldn't help but laugh at him. "Trust me on this. I'm going to be fine."

I hurried down the hallway and towards the main entrance of the school, hearing the second-in-command of the Disciplinary Committee hollering my name desperately behind me. I paid no attention to that, however, as I burst through the main entrance doors. The sight that greeted me at the front gates was one that you'd often see in movies or read in stories.

A group of males, all dressed messily and sloppily with piercings and large belt buckles with plenty of rings lining their fingers, were crowding around the iron black gate. Two females of Nami Middle were surrounded by the group, which jeered and laughed as they continued to say vulgar and inappropriate things. A large group of students that had already arrived surrounded them, murmuring amongst themselves and watching in a horrified manner.

Pushing myself through the crowd, I broke through the large group of people just as one of the delinquents began to slip his hand up her thigh and underneath the hem of her skirt.

"Excuse me," I interrupted their little "fun" if I could even bring myself to call it that. All their heads whipped towards me, obviously curious as to who dared stop them. I beamed brightly in response. "Do you mind letting our students go? You're scaring them."

The two students were trembling, tears falling from their eyes rapidly like streams. They had been struggling, but up against guys that were twice their size, they definitely couldn't win and break free of their hold.

"Who the hell are you?" the leader drawled. He retrieved his hand that had the tips of his fingers hidden underneath the grey pleated skirt of Nami Middle, his dark brown hair gelled up into enormous and unnatural spikes. He took a step closer to me menacingly, but I didn't take a step back in retreat.

"Shimizu Azumi," I introduced, trying to sound friendly. I lifted my hand up and waved slightly. Glancing around his figure, I repeated, "Mind letting the girls go? They haven't done anything wrong."

"Or else what?" the leader, whose name I didn't know, taunted.

My smile was still bright, but it was clearly forced. "Or else I won't be responsible for any injuries that may occur."

There was a beat of silence, and then the entire clique of rebels let out howls of laughter. I wasn't offended, since they had no idea of my background. People just naturally didn't think I could beat up people almost twice my size, but that was normal.

The crowd of Nami Middle students whispered, their murmurs rippling through one another. I couldn't pick up what they were saying, as I was focused on what the men in front of me were doing. However, I could hear Kusakabe struggling to get through the crowd of people.

"That's some big talk, little girl," the leader laughed. His eyes gleamed as they met mine. "You know, we came here to pick a fight with that Hibari Kyoya. Where is he? Is he so pathetic that he sent someone else because he's trembling in fear?"

I almost twitched. If Hibari had heard that, there was no way these guys would get out of here _breathing, _much less with the ability of coherent speech.

A feeling of defensive rage boiled inside me, but I couldn't help it. It was hard to stand these sorts of people—people who were so arrogant, who believed that they could beat the entire world without knowing even a quarter of the reality it held.

Forcing to keep my voice light, I tilted my head at them and smiled. "Rather than being pathetic, Hibari doesn't see any reason he needs to waste his time with people like you when he can easily be doing something more worthy of his attention. And I must say that I agree entirely—having Hibari come all the way down here to greet you would definitely be stupid. After all, why should he dirty his hands when even _I_ can handle this with ease?"

"S-Shimizu-san!" Kusakabe had reached the front of the group of flabbergasted and shocked people. He looked absolutely horrified. "What do you think you're _doing_?"

I smiled tauntingly at the group of men in front of me, ignoring the regent-haired male. It would definitely be bad if I had started a fight first. Although what I said had been completely true, I had also hoped that those words would provoke them to strike first.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" The leader let out a loud, but humourless chuckle. His footsteps brought him over to stand in front of me, but I didn't even flinch as he stuck his face close to mine. "You know, it's such a pity that we have to teach you a lesson. After all, it'd ruin this face of yours." His hand reached up to touch my cheek, but I took a step back to avoid it.

"Please refrain from touching me in such a manner," my voice was polite. "I don't want to remember something so vile for the rest of my life." I wanted to tell him to just come on and _swing_ at me, for the sake of all that was good. I wasn't one that deliberately provoked an opponent, nor was I one that trash-talked before a fight just to get the other person riled up, but this was a different kind of situation.

"You're going to regret that, sweetheart," he whispered. As his fist swung towards me, the only thought that entered my mind was _"finally_."

Hardly even blinking, my palm stopped his fist before it hit my face. Smiling at his surprised expression, I gripped his wrist tightly, yanking him down so that his chin collided with my knee as he fell. The action caused my knee to throb in faint pain, but I ignored it. Still holding onto his wrist, I carelessly threw him towards two of his subordinates, who weren't expecting the blow. They toppled onto the floor with his large body on top of them.

"W-What—"

Before they could finish that sentence, I stepped towards the remaining males that held onto the female students. As one charged at me, I used the momentum he created to easily flip him onto his back after he did a few somersaults in the air. The others, at this point, had let the girls go free. The girls ran towards the group of spectators, glad to not be held as hostage anymore.

The rest of the delinquents all came charging at me simultaneously, but there was no fear inside me.

I ducked to dodge one of their blows, elbowing him harshly in the stomach. He crippled to the floor, and I blocked a kick to the face before decking him in the right eye. One of them pulled out a switchblade, and I blinked at it in mild surprise as he ran towards me furiously. Before he could make it though, a fist slammed into the side of his head, sending him flying to the side.

"Jeez," Gokudera's grumpy voice reached my ears. I smiled up at the dynamite user, one of his hands holding his schoolbag over the shoulder casually while the other was still clenched into a fist. "What do you think you're doing, you stupid woman?"

"A-Azumi!" Tsuna exclaimed. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

I smiled at his concern. "Not at all. I'm completely fine. Thanks, Gokudera, for helping me with that." I looked around his lean figure just in time to see Yamamoto land a punch at one of the troublemakers, sending him crashing into a cherry blossom tree trunk. "Thanks, Yamamoto!"

The sound of his laughter gradually came closer, and he stopped next to the silver-haired male. "I never thought I'd see someone like you get into a fight like that, Azumi."

"That was dangerous!" Tsuna reprimanded me, his eyes shining with worry. "What would've happened if we didn't come?"

"Well, she was doing fine on her own," Gokudera stated, offering an upward tilt of the lips to the shorter brunette. "There's no need to worry, Tenth. After all, she's part of Varia. If she couldn't handle something like _that_, I'd question whether or not Varia made a mistake by allowing her into the organization."

Yamamoto grinned flippantly, as if he hadn't just broken a few noses and ribcages. "You know, for someone so small, you're sure not what I'd expect."

"Thank you?" It sounded more like a question than a statement, and I laughed. I had to bite down onto my tongue to keep myself from reminding Yamamoto he was just ridiculously tall, and that I wasn't really all that small.

"What did they want from you, Azumi?" Tsuna inquired, his eyebrows knitting together.

Waving a hand dismissively, I explained, "They were looking for Hibari."

"And let me guess," Gokudera's narrowed forest eyes met mine, "you took them on instead, while the bastard's off somewhere else."

"Well, I _had _a choice whether or not I wanted to do it," I notified them. "They were terrorizing some students, and it would take too long to search for Hibari. So this is what happened."

By now, we had all turned our back to the group of students that were from a different school. They were all lying on the floor, all of them breathing, but they definitely weren't in the best of shapes. The mob of people who had been watching the fight immediately parted for us, the gossip already spreading.

"You're too nosy," Gokudera scolded with a deep frown. "It causes trouble for everyone else, especially the Tenth."

"Sorry," I apologized with a small laugh. "But really, what was I supposed to do? And I knew that I could handle them just fine. I'm not your ordinary girl, so there's no need to worry."

"That's easier said than done," Tsuna commented with a heavy sigh. "But I'm glad you're—"

"Shimizu-san!"

Upon hearing Kusakabe's critical voice, I halted in my steps and turned around. I had heard someone's running footsteps, but I had expected it to be the right-hand man of Hibari. Instead, however, I was greeted with the sight of one of the delinquents rushing at me with another switchblade. Surprise painted itself across my face, and my automatic instincts caused my muscles to tense up in anticipation to the attack. However, it was proved unnecessary as a relatively broad back clad in a dark blue sweater vest obscured my vision.

Hibari's amused, but dangerously menacing voice addressed the leader, who had been knocked back several feet. "Ho? It seems that you're begging to be bitten to death. Harming Nami students while on school grounds is prohibited. Are you prepared for your punishment?"

The Cloud Guardian hardly even waited for a response as he ran towards the chief of the gang. I watched, just like many others, as Hibari's tonfa hit the guy square on the chin, forcing him to fly into the air. Before he could fall back down onto the floor, Hibari effortlessly swung at the body with his tonfa, which connected with the guy's cheek. Hibari's blue-grey eyes didn't even blink as the other male flew past the iron gates and slammed into someone's cement fence.

"Hibari!" I greeted enthusiastically, approaching the male easily. "Good morning!"

Kusakabe reached him at the same time that I did. "Hibari-san!"

His eyes scanned the people around us. "What are you all doing? I'm not in a good mood. Those who crowd around will be bitten to death." The students let out scared squeaks and mumbled apologies before scurrying off as fast as their legs could carry them.

"Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong once again, Shimizu Azumi." His eyes slid to pierce into mine. "I will punish you accordingly." He held his tonfas up, his expression nothing short of neutral with a downward tilt of the lips.

"Well, we didn't know where you'd be," I explained with a smile. "And besides, by the time we found you and brought you here, who knows what would've happened to the girls." The scenes that flashed through my mind were all unpleasant and involved a lot of ripping and tortured screams. I almost winced at the thought of it, but I repressed the images to keep myself from looking weirder than I already did in front of the two Disciplinary Committee members.

Kusakabe's voice still held shock. "I never would've expected that from you, Shimizu-san... Nothing about you suggests that you're so..." he struggled to find a word.

"Violent?" I offered, my lips tilting upwards into a smile at the thought.

The regent-haired male shook his head. "Not violent, per say. I think the appropriate word would be 'skilled.'"

"I get that a lot," I reassured him with a laugh. "That's why I told you it was completely fine if I went. You shouldn't worry so much."

"Sorry," he apologized with a slight frown. "I'll keep that in mind."

Yamamoto let out a laugh as the three of them approached our own little trio. "The surprise still hasn't really left. It was pretty awesome, though. Yo, Hibari!"

"H-Hibari-san," Tsuna stammered his greeting.

Gokudera folded his arms across his chest, a scowl resting on his features. "Tch. Not so high and mighty this time, huh?"

"G-Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna paled visibly.

"Are you picking a fight, herbivore?" Hibari's tone of voice sounded like he was more than happy to comply. His tonfas were held readily in his pale hands, his eyes shining with a thirst to break some bones and spill some blood.

Turning to face the Cloud Guardian, Gokudera's voice was challenging. "Are you sure you're up for it, you—"

"_Actually_," I intervened with a bright smile, awkwardly slinging an arm around the taller male's shoulders. "We've—"

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing, you insolent woman? Get your hands off of me!"

"—got to get to class now," I finished, ignoring the way Gokudera had broke off my sentence halfway through. He struggled violently, trying to get my arm off his shoulder, and when he finally managed to succeed in shrugging it off, I placed my hands on his back, pushing him towards the entrance of the school.

"_Oi_!" Gokduera's unbelievably agitated voice growled.

Glancing over my shoulder at the prefect and his second-in-command, I smiled at them. "See you guys later!" I proceeded in pushing Gokudera towards the main doors, Yamamoto and Tsuna joining us only a second later. Together, all four of us made an enormous racket while trying to get to our classroom on time.

But even so, I didn't miss the three pairs of eyes that burned into my back as I left.

* * *

><p>I voiced aloud my concern to Tsuna. "It's really rare for Nana to not be home at this time, Tsuna..."<p>

The son of said woman let out a soft sigh, trying to smile reassuringly at me. "Don't worry, Azumi. She's fine, I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so confident?" I let out a complaint, abruptly stopping because Tsuna did as well. The two of us—for some reason, everyone else hadn't been home when we arrived back from school—had been walking together towards Yamamoto's sushi place for dinner.

"We're here," Tsuna announced, glancing at me with his warm eyes. "You've wanted to eat sushi for a long time, right? Come on, let's go in." I followed the reassuring form of my childhood friend, only to have fluttering pieces of glittery paper block my vision.

"Surprise!" numerous voices chorused together.

When all the shiny confetti slips had fallen down onto the floor, I blinked at the sushi shop that had been decorated with streamers and balloons. A large banner was attached to the largest wall with, "Welcome to Namimori!" painted on it, designs and different drawings decorating the large rectangular piece of paper.

Scanning the crowd, I took in the faces of all the Guardians except for Hibari and the Mist Guardian that I had yet to meet, followed by I-Pin and Fuuta, who stood beside a beaming Nana. Kyoko and Haru were grinning brightly at me in the middle of the room, Dino's close group of subordinates from the Chiavarone Famiglia taking up the other side. The tenth generation Boss of said Famiglia had his hands in the pocket of his coat, his smile more than enough to charm the pants out of all girls.

My mouth felt like it had a hard time closing. "E-Everyone..."

Yamamoto grinned at me. "You said that you wanted to eat my old man's sushi, right? Well, now that we're all here, feel free to dig in."

"It was fun preparing everything!" Kyoko exclaimed cheerfully, her smile kind and gentle. Her light topaz eyes were warm, the sincerity radiating off of her.

"This is how we feel about you coming to Namimori!" Haru grinned brightly at me, her brown eyes shining. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest, a light flush on her cheeks. It was clear she was proud of what she had done.

"I never knew that you already made so many amazing friends, Azu-chan," Nana's eyes met mine. "It's great to know you're getting along with everyone."

My heart almost seemed to burn with happiness. The emotion was so strong that it practically hurt. My lips pulled up into a smile so wide that I felt as if I tried to smile even a millimeter wider, then my face would break a bit.

Looking around at everyone that was present, I never would've imagined getting something like this when I had decided to take up this mission and come back to Namimori. Having something like this prepared for me was so amazing, I couldn't even begin to describe how I felt about it. I didn't know what to say, nor did I know how to react appropriately. I had never gotten a party or anything of the like thrown for me on such a large scale, and it touched me deeply.

Even though I knew no words could convey how grateful I felt, I tried to say something that could come close to expressing how I felt. "Thank you so much, everyone. I can't imagine how to thank all—"

"You don't need to," Gokudera interrupted me, his lips an upside down smile.

"Because we already know," Tsuna smiled softly and delicately at me. I couldn't help but return the look on his face, and it made everyone—except for a scowling Gokudera—cheer.

"Let's dig in, everyone!" Yamamoto exclaimed with an energetic voice, causing another round of roaring liveliness. People began to walk around, speaking with one another and laughing as they spoke. Tsuna was speaking with Dino, and Kyoko and Haru were occupied with their own conversations. Spotting Yamamoto near the place where the sushi was being made, I slid beside him.

"Yamamoto," I started, only to be cut off.

He placed his hands on my shoulders and pulled me in front of him with a laugh. "Old man, this is Shimizu Azumi."

A middle-aged man with dark hair and the same light toffee eyes as Yamamoto regarded me. He was wearing a completely white outfit, an apron tied around his waist and a white band wrapped around his head. There were a few wrinkles that lined his face, but nonetheless, he still looked pretty young.

Wiping his hands with a cloth, he smiled down at me. "So that's you, eh? I'm Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, Takeshi's father. It's nice to meet you. Thank you for taking care of my son all the time." He bowed at me slightly.

Rapidly mimicking his actions, I straightened myself out before protesting, "You've got it wrong, actually. Yamamoto's been watching over me, and he's been treating me with a great amount of kindness. Thank you for letting me be in his care."

His father blinked at me for a moment before letting out a booming laugh. "Is that the way it is? That's good to know. Here, try some. The salmon is unbelievably fresh." He pushed a small tray of salmon sashimi towards me, and I glanced at him hesitantly. He raised an eyebrow at me encouragingly, almost as if he was wondering what I was waiting for.

"Here you go," Yamamoto handed me a pair of chopsticks.

"Thank you," I told him. Taking a piece of the thick flesh, I brought it to my mouth and bit down. I chewed the salmon, my eyes widening. It felt like a wave of heaven had just crashed down on me. "This is delicious!"

The baseball player grinned widely. "Isn't it?"

Tsuyoshi let out another laugh. "Glad you think so. Dig in! There's plenty more where _that _came from!"

"Thank you so much," I told the sushi expert, who merely waved it off with his hand simply. I spent a few minutes speaking with the Yamamoto duo before I was pulled away from the two by Lambo. Tsuna and I played with the two infants as well as Fuuta for a while, the ruckus we caused turning heads from fellow friends.

When the three children had finally let us go to play with Kyoko and Haru, Tsuna and I sunk down on empty seats at a table in the corner. We were both trying to calm ourselves down from the overly enthusiastic marathon we had been put through, neither one of us saying anything.

A certain golden-blond slipped into a vacant seat in front of us, setting down an enormous tray of assorted sushi with him. "You two look worn out."

"Dino-san!" Tsuna greeted, his voice more lively than it had been earlier while we had been running around.

"Thanks, Dino," I smiled at the enchanting Boss. "I'm sure that you're busy, but you made time to come here."

"Nah," he waved a hand in dismissal, "I got most of my work done anyways. I didn't want to miss this. It's been a while since I saw everyone, so I'm having fun."

Tsuna's lips pulled upwards. "That's good. It really _has_ been a long time since I've last seen you, Dino-san. How have you been?"

"Pretty good," he laughed. "How about you two? I heard that there's still nothing happening with the attack on the tenth generation Vongola."

"There hasn't," I admitted, letting out a soft sigh. "It's hard to stay patient. The fact that they're dragging it out is unusual—I can't help but feel as if there's something more than what we expect."

Nodding his head soberly in understanding, Dino advised, "It's always best not to let your guard down no matter what, even if it feels like you're not in any danger. That's the moment they're waiting for to strike with all they've got."

"Got it," Tsuna nodded his head, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"But let's not speak of that now." Dino's teeth flashed and he propped his elbows up on the table, leaning on them slightly. "After all, this is a welcoming party." There was a pause, and then a casual, "So I heard that you're trying to get close to Kyoya?"

I almost choked on the piece of sushi I had been in the middle of chewing. Taken off guard, I stared at the Chiavarone Boss with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"A-Azumi," Tsuna thumped my back. "Are you okay?"

Swallowing the food, which seemed to feel like a brick, I nodded. "... Y-Yeah, just fine. I'm just—shocked, I suppose."

"Well," Dino let out a small chuckle, "Reborn and I have been keeping in touch."

Shaking my head, I denied, "That's not the reason why I'm surprised." At Dino's questioning look, I expanded, "You called Hibari, _'Kyoya'_. Dino... I think that you're absolutely amazing since you haven't died yet." To hear Hibari's given name roll off of Dino's tongue so easily made my heart almost stop. I could hardly believe the fact that _anyone_ would get away with addressing Hibari in such an intimate way.  
><em><br>Really_, how did Dino do it?

"I-I agree," Tsuna's terrified expression seemed to get worse the more the thought about it.

Musical laughter escaped the chocolate-orbed Boss. "You're not too wrong there. Believe me, the first time I had called him by his given name, my head had nearly been swiped off. He was so angry about it at first, but since I never stopped calling him by that, he seems to just ignore it now."

I could very, _very _clearly imagine the prefect aiming to kill Dino. It wasn't something that was hard to picture inside my head, especially since I had gotten more than just a single taste of the bloodthirsty Guardian's tonfas. "Is that how it happened?"

"Yup," Dino answered, taking out his own chopsticks to eat the sushi in front of all of us. "I don't think you have the right to be so amazed, though, Azumi. From what I hear, you're making some pretty good progress yourself."

At this, my eyebrows shot up to my hairline. "Sorry, Dino, but... I don't think you've got the right sources."

"That's impossible," came his confident reply.

"Why?" Tsuna blinked curiously at the figure that he regarded as an older brother.

"Because _I'm_ the one who told Dino." A small physique dropped from out of nowhere, landing on Tsuna's head for a brief moment before jumping off and landing onto the wooden table in front of us. Reborn, with Leon awake and observing, had a smile on his face. "Ciaossu."

"Reborn!" the three of us said in unison, though our tones showed the different emotions we had with the arrival of the Arcobaleno. While Dino sounded casual like always, Tsuna had sounded slightly surprised and slightly dreadful. I, on the other hand, sounded almost scolding.

The strongest hitman stalked over to the tray of sushi, picking up a new pair of chopsticks. He sat down next to the tray, rapidly putting them into his small mouth. He chewed and swallowed quickly before taking some more.

Ignoring the fact he was almost vacuuming the sushi into his mouth, my voice was skeptical. "What does Dino mean by, 'pretty good progress'?"

Reborn took his time in chewing and swallowing his current mouthful of sushi—something that we all knew he was doing deliberately—before patting his mouth with an unused napkin. He opened his mouth to speak, but he seemed to think better of it and reached for another piece of sushi.

"Reborn!" I complained, moving the tray of sushi a bit farther from him. As much as I loved and respected the Arcobaleno, I couldn't help but be mildly exasperated by his antics sometimes. I knew that they all had some kind of hidden motive in them, but I was never one to sit down and work my brain to bits thinking about it.

He stretched his arm, taking another piece of sushi. When he finished this one, he finally spoke. "Dino meant exactly what he said."

I almost twitched. "That's not helpful at all, Reborn!"

Dino's observing eyes met my own, amusement dancing in them. "Even if we explained it to you now, you probably wouldn't understand."

"Try me," I suggested, deciding to eat some more food before Reborn devoured it all with his unsightly appetite tonight.

"Okay, you caught me," the Chiavarone Boss let out a small laugh. "I lied. You'd understand. But you wouldn't see how it works."

It hadn't been hard seeing through Dino's bluff. After all, it was rare that there were things I _couldn't_ understand. His words were beginning to confuse me, and I let out a loud sigh. "You make it sound almost as if Hibari and I are _getting along_."

"That's _exactly _what we're saying," Reborn retorted without an ounce of hesitation.

Tsuna looked between Reborn and I, his expression doubtful. "The thought of Hibari getting along with anyone is kind of scary."

I wasn't necessarily scared by it, but it was certainly unusual. I could understand and picture him _tolerating_ people, but _getting along_ with them was an entirely different matter. "I think that this is the first time I've felt like you're wrong, Reborn."

The infant was no longer smiling, but there was no scowl on his lips either. "Maybe 'getting along' is a little too exaggerated for the time being. Rather than that, it's more like he's... getting used to you."

"_What_?" Tsuna and I chorused together, the incredulity in our voices evident.

"I don't think that's the right way to describe it either, Reborn," Dino voiced aloud. Resting his cheek in the palm of his hand, the friendly adult had his lips pursed as he tried to think of an appropriate way to describe it.

Reborn blinked his dark eyes at us. "Don't sound so surprised. How do _you _think your relationship with him is, Azumi?"

"Well," I started off slowly as my brain ran through all of the memories revolving around the onyx-haired prefect. No matter how hard I tried to come up with something else, I always came back to the same conclusion. "He hates me for sure."

"And what makes you say that?" Dino questioned, sounding intrigued.

Tsuna looked a bit dead just thinking about it all. "You weren't there, Dino-san... Hibari-san looked like he wanted to do more than just bite Azumi to death."

Nodding, I thought back to the day I had asked him about disliking crowds and being in a Family. The hostility that radiated off of him was unforgettable. "It's like he wants to rip me limb from limb after he destroys me with his tonfas."

Dino's lips curled upwards in entertainment. "Is that so?"

"Y-You're smiling, Dino-san." Tsuna had an appalled look on his face, leaning his head back as if it'd make the Boss vanish from his eyes.

"Sorry," the blond apologized genuinely. "It's just that—I'm not going to say Kyoya doesn't hate you, because it's highly likely that he does." I felt myself smile at his honesty, only a tiny bit disappointed upon hearing that being friends with Hibari was almost more than just a daydream.

"That's... not what I was hoping for," I revealed, laughing slightly. "I'm not sure how I should act around him."

Reborn looked at me with a frown. "Why do you need to change how you act? Just be yourself—like how you've always been."

"But it seems to irritate Hibari more than you'd imagine," I countered the advice, taking another California roll into my mouth.

"That's fine," Reborn replied, uncaring. "Don't change yourself just to please someone else, Azumi. You're starting to sound pathetic and undignified."

The words he said rang inside my head, and I let out a laugh. I was never sure how Reborn managed to give out such helpful advice that made someone feel better and yet also managed to insult the person at the very same time.

"You're right, Reborn," I agreed with a slight smile. "I'll do my best with everything." And as more people migrated to our table, I couldn't help but keep in mind that I definitely _was_ going to do my best.

Which also meant I'd do all I could to befriend the Cloud Guardian.

* * *

><p><strong>AN : **

So that's the end of the eighth chapter. I hope you guys liked it! In the next chapter, I plan for the plot to begin to take action, so I hope you guys look forward to it. That's when the ball starts rolling for real.

I apologize for any spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and for any OOCness that may or may not have occurred in this chapter.

LOTS OF LOVE AND THANKS TO;

**10th Squad 3rd Seat, random, Tsukuda Sumiko, and Youknowwhothisis**

You guys are more than just amazing for reviewing for me, so thank you so much! You guys have absolutely no idea how much I appreciate it.

Thank you to those of you who alerted and favourited as well.

That's basically it, you guys. I mean, I don't know when I'm going to update next with the way you guys respond to the story. HAHA. Or, well, it's more like your _lack of responses. _

The fate of this story _does _rest in the palm of your hands, guys. You, the readers, are the ones that determine whether or not this story continues the way it is now or if it takes forever for me to update. And it's not like I'm lying to get more reviews; trust me. There have been times where I didn't update in eight months one of my stories. Not pretty.

So, Iunno. YOU guys show ME how much you want this story to continue. And depending on the amount of reviews and alerts I get, I might be able to update in a week, three months, eight months, a year. I _do_ have a life. -SLAPPED-

If you guys have enough time to alert or favourite this, then I'm sure you also have enough time to write a review.

I really can't bring myself to be writing like a madwoman when I feel like nobody's actually enjoying it, you know what I mean?

So please, please, _please _review if you don't want this story just... kinda wither away. I need support from my readers!

And I apologize to those who _have_ been reviewing for me. It's unfair to you guys, but if I feel like a ton of my readers just aren't into it, I can't wholeheartedly spend my time writing this, no matter how much _I _like it.

Yup.

This is important, so review!

The next chapter _will _begin the start of something, so... I hope that you guys will give me the fuel I need!

Until next time, whenever that may be...

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	9. At the end of the Rope

**Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! or any of the characters. All rights go to Amano Akira.**

**A/N :**

Hey guys, I'm back! And I just wanted to say _thank you_ to all the support that I got for my last chapter! It was really motivating, and I somehow managed to get this written. I'm hoping that you guys will _continue _to support me by reading, reviewing, alerting, and all that. It really does mean a lot and it goes a long way, so thank you!

I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter; things are finally getting exciting!

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER NINE;<strong>

_"At the end of the Rope"_

* * *

><p>The drops of rain fell down rapidly from the murky sky, no longer darkening the cement pavement with each landing since territories had been claimed hours ago. They fell and hit the pavement, the houses, windows, poles, anything at all that stood in their way with harshness, but it created a somewhat comforting song. They had been falling in a way that seemed unending and relentless, creating puddles in less than half an hour. They tumbled down from the sky that was blanketed with dark, stormy gray clouds that didn't allow even a peek of the sun.<p>

Even though it was raining sheets, the weather was still warm, so I didn't wear anything except my usual school uniform. With my schoolbag hanging along the crook of my arm and a hand holding onto a steaming cup of coffee, the other hand held up the ordinary black umbrella. I tried my best to avoid all the puddles, not wanting to get my socks wet.

I inhaled the air deeply as I continued my walk towards Nami Middle, closing my eyes for just a brief moment before exhaling slowly. A soft wind blew by at that moment, the air hitting my exposed face with a touch almost like a caress. My eyes softened slightly, dropping from the houses around me to the floor that I walked on.

My eyes felt dry and they had a slight burning sensation in them, since they hadn't gotten much rest lately. Between staying up late to keep an eye out on things and waking up early to investigate, there was hardly any time for me to get any shut eye. I had been through worse, since there were numerous times during missions that even a wink of sleep could potentially kill you, but it had been a while since I been on one of those assignments. It was much harder adapting back to lack of sleep rather than changing back to getting _more _sleep than usual.

Unfortunately, all my efforts had been fruitless. I had searched plenty of places, whether they were obvious or secretive, whether they were plain and almost stupid or extremely well hidden and intelligent... I tried to think from as many different perspectives as I could. Yet, there was nothing there. I highly doubted that the base was hidden by an illusion, though.

As I stepped under the shelter of the main entrance's canopy, I shook my umbrella to get it as dry as I could before shutting it. As I changed my shoes, I also stuck the umbrella in the small locker, not wanting to carry it in my schoolbag in case it got any of the textbooks or notebooks wet.

Walking towards the reception room, my eyes fell shut again. Taking a sip of the hot coffee carelessly, I felt my tongue burn. Jumping slightly, I swallowed the burning liquid and opened my mouth wide. I fanned my tongue with my spare hand, though I knew it didn't do much good.

I didn't necessarily love the taste of coffee, but I had never hated it, either. I liked it, no more and no less. Normally, I'd have made coffee while at home and put it in a thermos to take to school with me, but waking up before Nana was a difficult task—especially since I had been returning to Tsuna's room with barely any room to spare before she woke up for the day. As kind and understanding as Nana was, I didn't want her to ask about why I needed to drink coffee. There was no doubt she'd take notice of my bags and then she'd be concerned.

So I had opted for buying coffee at a cafe instead.

Sighing, I opened up the door to the reception room. I didn't doubt that he'd be in there, whether he'd be napping or doing whatever he needed to do. After all, even if Hibari Kyoya had a strong urge to irk me and stay out in the rain like I had warned him against, there was surely no way he was idiotic enough to follow through with something like that.

And sure enough, the stoic Disciplinary Committee Chairman sat behind the desk, an elbow propped up on the paper-free furniture. His hand was loosely curled into a fist, something that he rested his cheek against. His eyes, which were closed, slowly opened to stare at me.

"Good morning," I told him with a smile, closing the door behind me. I placed my bag onto the floor next to the couch before sinking onto the soft cushions. I took a long sip of my coffee, hoping it'd keep me more awake and alert. Even though coffee cleared the drowsy haze in my mind, it was only a very temporary thing.

His voice was cold. "How long do you intend to be a nuisance to me, herbivore?"

"Until I'm no longer considered a 'nuisance,'" I beamed at him, stifling a small laugh when his eyes narrowed into a deadly glower. "Sorry, Hibari, but I plan to stick around for a while. I hope we'll become great friends."

"I will not repeat what I had said," he responded nonchalantly, though his eyes told a different story. He stared at me with glacial gray-blue eyes that were veiled by invisible walls and barriers. His lips, which were tilted downwards into a small frown like they always were, had been painted with a scowl.

His words from before rang inside my head; _"I don't need such useless things." _It was impossible to forget such cold, unfeeling words. Thinking about how serious he had looked as he said them, I couldn't help but feel my heart wrench slightly. What happened to him that'd make him view the world like he currently did? He was missing out on so much, and he wasn't even aware of it.

Taking another sip of coffee, I smiled at him slightly. "I know what you said, but that doesn't change what _I _said. Besides, you're always alone. Whenever I see you, I feel as if you're lonely."

"I prefer to be alone," was his response.

"Maybe you prefer solitude," I murmured as my eyes directed themselves onto the coffee cup I now held with both hands, "but eventually, the feeling of loneliness will haunt you. It'll be an unbearable feeling, almost like the world is closing in on you, trapping you from everyone else. Being alone might be something you prefer, but that doesn't mean it isn't painful."

For a moment, I thought that he would attack me right then and there. The aura he emitted seemed to darken tenfold, his eyes freezing over into solid menace. His thoughts were written clearly all over his face—_"don't act as if you know me."_I almost flinched away from his hateful eyes, but I didn't. The one thing that I had always been scolded for when I was training in Varia had been how I was always easily intimidated.

Squalo had beaten it into me to never look away from someone, even if they were bigger, better, stronger, and looked as if they could crush me into a pulp. He never said it wasn't okay to be afraid and intimidated, but he had always yelled at me to stop cringing away from the enemy.

It wasn't as if I felt that Hibari was an enemy, but he was definitely intimidating in a way that was different than how I found Tsuna intimidating. In my eyes, everyone had some sort of intimidating factor about them. For Tsuna, it was because he was so kind—the fact that I could disappoint him was something that scared me. It was the same for Yamamoto. Gokudera was unapproachable in the way that he'd act towards people in the beginning—rude and in a hostile manner. It seemed like it would be impossible to impress him, and that was disheartening.

But for Hibari, it wasn't because of something emotional. It was a kind of fright due to his overwhelming strength. He was scary in the sense that I knew, at any possible moment, he could whip his tonfas out and attack. The thought that he could kill me. And yet, even though he was petrifying in this way, I couldn't help but also feel like it was something in his eyes that was the scariest.

I just didn't quite know what it was.

Breaking our locked gazes, I shifted my dark eyes over to look out the window. The rain still sang the same melody as it had when I had woken up this morning, and I wondered briefly when it would stop. I let out a slight smile. "I love the rain."

And just like I had suspected, he didn't respond to something like that. To him, after all, it was something trivial and unimportant. Not worthy of his attention.

"I forgot to say this before, and it slipped my mind yesterday, so I want to say it before I miss the chance to." I turned my attention to him again, my smile widening. "Thank you very much, Hibari, for helping me out with Tomoko. And I'm really sorry that we intruded into your home like that. It was an invasion of privacy."

His eyes, which held mine in a way that made me feel uneasy, narrowed the slightest fraction before they were hidden by smooth eyelids. His eyelashes were long and thick, brushing against the top of his cheekbones. Without saying a word, he reverted back to the position he had been in before I had entered the room.

Tipping back the coffee cup until the last drop was finished, I swallowed the warm liquid and let out a sigh, heaving myself up off the couch. Walking towards the garbage can that was beside the desk, I dropped it in lightly. Hibari's closed eyes didn't even flutter as the sound of the cup hitting the empty can echoed slightly through the room.

Moving to stand in front of the windows, I propped my elbows up on the ledge of the sill. One hand cupped the back of my neck loosely, while the other had my chin resting in its palm. My fingers were curled limply, obscuring my mouth.

Staring out the window at the rain, it lasted only for a minute longer before the raindrops dwindled quickly. The downpour stopped just as abruptly as it had began, the familiar sound of water droplets pelting against the window ceasing to bring everything back to silence.

"The rain stopped," I murmured softly. Expecting no response, I continued on, "I wonder if there's going to be a rainbow. I've only seen rainbows twice, I think. Once when I was six, and another time when I was nine. From what I remember, they're really pretty. It was so bright and so colourful compared to—"  
><em><br>Stop_.

My eyes widened, my sentence breaking off completely when I realized where I had been heading. When I was nine, that rainbow was—  
><em><br>Stop_.

Clenching, wrenching, my heart squeezed inside my chest as it pounded louder, faster, harder. My stomach began to feel queasy, twisting uncomfortably. Closing up, my throat choked on the air that I had tried to get in.  
><em><br>Step back, step back_.

The hand that had been curled around the back of my neck had now left that position, curling its fingers into a tight white fist at my side.  
><em><br>Breathe, clear. Breathe, clear._

I tried my best to inhale deeply, calming my tingling nerves that were screaming. My entire body was flooded with adrenaline that seemed to run through cold blood, everything shouting and screaming and saying no. Shutting my eyes tightly, I tried to tune everything around me out, tried to do what the voice in my head was telling me to do. It took a while, but eventually, my body began to calm itself down.  
><em><br>Rewind._

Opening my eyes again as everything fell back into place, I turned my head to glance at the prefect. His eyes, narrowed and still holding their shields, were watching me from their corners. When my gaze collided with his, he didn't look away, and neither did I. His lips were, as they always were, pulled down into a frown. Mine, however, stretched upwards.

"There was a party yesterday," I told him as I straightened myself up, letting a forearm rest against the sill. "You should've come—it was really fun, and the sushi that Yamamoto's dad made was absolutely to die for."

"So you herbivores were crowding," he stated.

I let out a laugh. "Yeah, but it was really nice. I got to talk with everyone and get to know everyone better—Yamamoto, Dino, Gokudera, Kyoko and Haru... I was disappointed when the Mist Guardian wasn't there, since I've been itching to meet her and Mukuro. I plan to ask Tsuna about visiting her sometime soon... Would you like to come along?"

Upon hearing about the Mist Guardian, the temperature in the room could've dropped until below zero. "Do _not_," he muttered, "mention that name in front of me."

As I had been informed, he still wasn't over his hatred towards Mukuro. With the way he was acting, I doubted he'd ever get over it. His grudge against the illusionist ran so deeply, it seemed impossible to get rid of.

"Mm," came my noncommittal reply. I covered my mouth with a hand as a yawn suddenly assaulted me. My tired eyes glazed over with what looked like tears, and I rubbed both my eyes with my hands. The action hurt slightly, but in the few seconds that my eyes had been shut, I felt almost relieved. Even if it was only for a few seconds, the fact that they were closed gave me the feeling of rest.

A knock was heard on the door, and I stopped what I was doing to say, "Um, come in." My eyes darted to look at Hibari, wondering if he would be glowering at me for allowing someone to enter without his permission, but he was ignoring my existence once more.

There was a brief moment of silence where the door didn't move or slid open and nobody said anything. Then just as quickly as the stillness had come, it vanished as the door glided softly open.

My smile was bright, and I automatically took a few steps closer to the door. "Good morning, Kusakabe!"

There was no surprise in his voice as he returned my greeting. "Good morning, Shimizu-san, Hibari-san."

I was glad that I seemed to be getting along with the tall second-in-command. Although he was in the Disciplinary Committee, it was nice to know that not everyone in that certain clique was as bloodthirsty as Hibari was. I almost sighed thinking about it—it was almost as if the prefect purposely picked fights with people just for the fun of it.

"Is there something wrong?" I inquired, looking up to speak properly with him. It seemed to me that everyone around me was so tall, but I knew that it was because they _were._ I had never actually gone to a regular school, but I was _pretty_ sure that guys Yamamoto's age shouldn't be _that _tall.

Shaking his head, he let out a smile. "Not this time."

"Good," I let out a laugh. "There seems to be quite a bit of trouble for you guys lately. It's nice to know that it's peaceful for now. Make sure everyone doesn't work themselves too hard." Though I wasn't quite sure what they'd work themselves hard over, since Hibari beat most people up before anyone else could even get there.

"Yes, it _is _somewhat nice," he agreed amiably. "And yes, I will make sure of that."

"That includes yourself," I pointed out. He had bags under his eyes that weren't that hard to see. "Don't push yourself too hard. It'll be bad if Hibari's trusted right-hand man is unwell, right?"

For a moment, Kusakabe didn't respond. His body froze for a moment, and he stared at me incredulously. His eyes then darted over to Hibari, who sat unmoving in the dark leather chair. Eventually, after his moment of shock was over, he shook his head. "I—"

"Don't protest," I interrupted with a smile, already guessing what the man in front of me would say. Glancing at the clock, I took notice of the time. While there was still ten minutes before the warning bell for class, I had something I wanted to do. "Since you're here, Kusakabe, I better take my leave."

"No, no," he shook his head. "If it's because I'm interrupting something, _I _should be the one to leave."

I blinked at him, not registering what he said for a moment. He thought he was _interrupting_ something? I didn't understand—I didn't see anything that he _could _be interrupting. It wasn't as if Hibari and I had any secretive conversations where we spilled out our hearts to one another.

"That's not it," I told him with a small laugh. "There's something that I need to do. I was about to go even before you came, but now I feel more assured."

"Assured?" he repeated. "About what?"

"About leaving," I responded, walking over to where my bag was on the floor. I picked it up, smiling at the two males in the room. "It's nice to know that when I leave, Hibari won't be all alone."

Kusakabe's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Before he could say anything, I was at the slightly ajar doorway. Smiling over my shoulder at them, I lifted a hand up in a wave before exiting.

And as I continued walking further down the hall, the smile slipped into a frown.

* * *

><p>"...umi... <em>Azumi<em>..."

I cracked open an eye groggily, seeing a pair of hazy and blurred brown eyes. Shutting my eyes again, I slowly lifted my head up off of my desk, shaking it slowly as I did so to chase away the sleepiness. When I opened my eyes again, it took a few seconds for everything to adjust.

"You're _finally _awake," Gokudera sighed in exasperation. He was sitting on top of the desk in front of mine, his feet resting on the seat. His arms were folded across his dark navy sweater, his lips pursed.

Tsuna's concerned eyes matched the worry that danced along with his smooth voice. "You've been sleeping in class a lot the past two days. Are you feeling alright, Azumi?"

"Is something happening?" Yamamoto questioned, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

I hadn't told any of them what I had been doing the past few days, since I knew that they'd want to help out. Knowing Tsuna and the rest of them, they had enough troubles to deal with. Reborn was still grilling Tsuna on his studies, and Yamamoto was practicing hard for the upcoming baseball game. Gokudera was, without a doubt, also secretly conducting his own research on what may happen. Lambo was just a kid, and since I hadn't met Chrome, I wondered if she was even aware of the situation. Asking Hibari was out of the question, as I was sure he wouldn't be very cooperative about it.

Imagining his uncaring expression and the slight smirk that could be heard in the weaving of his voice as he said, "Let them come and be bitten to death" wasn't very hard.

"No, no," I quickly reassured them. My teeth flashed. "It's really nothing to worry about. I'm fine."

Tsuna didn't look very convinced. "It's not like you... Are you sure you aren't feeling unwell?"

"I'm sure." I smiled at the future Boss of Vongola.

"But man, Azumi, you're lucky." Yamamoto grinned at me. "The teacher didn't notice that you were asleep. I always get caught."

A laugh escaped me as I raised my eyebrows at him. "Really?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "I can't even remember all the times I've been scolded in front of the entire class."

"Me too," Tsuna let out a sigh. "The number of times that I've been yelled at for not paying attention or not preparing beforehand is... I've lost count."

"There's no need to worry, Tenth," Gokudera reassured the brunette. "One day, I'll teach them a lesson for raising their voices against you. In the meantime, however, I'll be more than happy to assist you with your studies, Tenth. You can leave it to me!"

Tsuna, however, didn't look as enthusiastic or as happy as the dynamite user. In fact, he looked like he just paled a bit more. "A-Ah... It's fine, Gokudera-kun. Reborn's already trying his best to help me."

Disappointment was clear in Gokudera's voice despite how hard he tried to hide it. "Oh, I see."

Sensing it as well, the glove user hastily invited, "But I'm sure that Reborn won't mind it if we have a group homework session. That way, we can all help each other out."

"That sounds great, Tsuna," Yamamoto let out a sheepish laugh. "I need all the help I can get with this math chapter."

"A 'group' homework session?" Gokudera repeated. His eye twitched. "Does this include the stupid muscle heads and the idiotic woman as well?"

"I-Is that not okay?" Tsuna stammered, taking a small step back from the silver-haired male.

Forcing the words out from gritted teeth, Gokudera said, "No, it's fine if that's what the Tenth wants."

"Should we do it today?" Yamamoto pondered aloud.

"Sure," Tsuna's soft smile appeared on his face. "We should go and find Onii-san. He should still be around the school..."

"Ah, today?" My eyes darted around the trio. "I'm sorry, but I can't make it today. I told Chie that I'd help her with her duties."

Tsuna's expression took on one of surprise. "Really?"

"Sorry," I repeated, offering the three of them an apologetic smile. "Please do the group homework session without me. If we ever plan another one, I promise to be there next time."

Gokudera was just a bit too quick in saying, "You don't need to promise to be there."

Yamamoto and I chuckled while Tsuna looked slightly appalled. Before either of the males could retaliate to Gokdera's comment, I said with a grin, "You can't get rid of me that easily, Gokudera."

"I'll try harder." It almost sounded like a vow.

I let out a laugh, my eyes meeting his. He was irritated and unhappy, but there was no hatred that rolled off of him in waves. It was reassuring to know that Gokudera, no matter how much he yelled and insulted everyone, wasn't completely dead-serious about it.

Standing up from my seat, I gathered up all my things. Placing all the necessary textbooks and notebooks into my schoolbag, I zipped it up and smiled at them. "I've got to meet up with Chie right now. I'll see you guys later!" I waved to them as I began heading towards the door.

"Take care!" Tsuna called after me.

There was a light laugh from Yamamoto. "See you, Azumi!"

Nothing came from Gokudera, but the fact that he remained silent made me chortle slightly as I made my way to the Student Council room. A lot of people were still in the hallways, meeting up with friends to walk home with one another. Some of the people I'd acquainted myself with smiled or waved at me, gestures that I gladly returned.

When I reached my destination, I rapped my knuckles against the wooden door for a moment, waiting until I heard Chie's permission to enter before sliding open the door. The onyx-haired lady was standing in front of a large banner the colour of bright sunshine. It stretched approximately three meters long and a meter wide. Bottles of paint were next to her feet, along with brushes of all sizes.

My eyebrows shot up to my hairline. "What's all this?"

"I'm making a banner to put up during the bake sale that's going be held at the end of this week," Chie responded with a smile. She pushed her glasses up her nose, her eyes sparkling behind the lenses. "Are you good at art?"

I let out a laugh. "If only. I can't draw to save my life. Unfortunately, I haven't been blessed with any artistic abilities at all." I walked further into the room, closing the door behind me. I set my bag down on the floor off to the side, not wanting it to get in the way.

"Is that so?" she sounded surprised. "You can't draw?"

"Not at all," I admitted easily, grinning at her expression.

"_Nothing_?" she persisted.

"Nothing," I confirmed.

Chie looked baffled. Her crimson eyes were disbelieving under furrowed eyebrows. "I never would've guessed..."

I gave her an amused look, walking over to where a large pile of papers had been stacked onto the desk. Taking a seat in the chair, I asked, "Filing again like last time?"

She bobbed her head up and down. "By the usual categories and date, please."

"Got it." I moved to the nearby cabinet, pulling it open and taking out the necessary folders before closing it again. "Why do you seem so surprised that I'm bad at art?"

Her face flushed. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to assume anything."

"Don't apologize," I grinned at her as I glanced down at the first piece of paper. "It's fine. I'm just curious, though. I can't imagine myself drawing anything remotely decent."

"It's just that—" she paused for a moment, struggling to unscrew a paint bottle's cap. When she got it open again, she let out a loud breath before continuing on, "—you're so... graceful. I mean, you hold this sort of elegance to you. The way you move and the way you do everything has a certain polish to it. I have a good friend who has that same sort of grace, and she's amazing at art."

I bit down on my tongue, almost blurting out that the only reason I had that certain "grace" as she called it was because I had been trained my entire life to become part of an assassination squad in which _everyone _was just as refined, if not more. I knew that a lot of people moved with a lot more beauty than I did—my sister being one of them. I found that Bel, as well, seemed to have this certain elegance with whatever he did. Perhaps it was because he was of royalty, but it was something that I had definitely noticed about the prince.

"You think so?" I said after keeping myself in check. I chuckled, "Thanks, although I'd have to disagree." Since, you know, if I had been brought up like any normal kid was, I definitely wouldn't have that same kind of poise.

"It's true," she protested, already having started painting her banner. The brush soared through the paper smoothly and without any resistance, the brush strokes confident and careful. A smile was on her face as she did her work, causing me to smile as well. It was clear that she loved art.

"If you say so," I said. I knew that there were a lot of times when people started being overly modest and it got irritating. I had experienced many cases of that, and I always tried my best to avoid those situations whenever it was possible.

Chie questioned, "Now that I know art isn't your hobby, I'm beginning to wonder what you do in your free time."

Well, I went on missions to kill people.

I hardly _had _any free time since I spent my days working deep underground for one of the biggest mafia organizations in the entire world.

I spent my free time sparring against people and training so that I could kill people or steal more efficiently.

None of those seemed like the correct answer.

"I... do gardening?" Even though it was supposed to be a statement, it sounded more like a question than anything else. When Chie looked at me, I let out a sheepish laugh and smiled at her before placing the paper I held in my hands in the appropriate file. "How about you?"

"I can see that," she said as she continued on with her work. "I... Well, I love to do art, even if I'm not exceptionally talented in it."

"Which is fine," I pointed out. "It's not as if you need to be talented in something to enjoy it. Besides, you're not horrible at art from what I can tell. If you have fun doing it, then it's fine, right?"

Her soprano voice giggled beautifully. "Yeah, you're right. I also enjoy baking—it's one of the reasons why I'm so excited about the bake sale. It's going to be so much fun to help make everything!"

"You bake?" I asked, taking the separated sheets of paper and making sure they were aligned properly before stapling them together and filing them.

Her voice was cheerful. "Yes! I love it. Do you?"

Shaking my head, I let out a remorseful sigh. "No. Cooking's another one of those things that I'm horrible at."

"No way!"

"Believe it," I nodded at her solemnly. "The last time I tried to cook, it was chaotic. I almost destroyed the kitchen." I would never forget that day—I had been excited to cook, feeling relatively confident that I wouldn't mess up. I had believed that since I had the recipe with me, everything would turn out ten times better than they usually did when I attempted to improvise.

I had been incredibly wrong.

The pasta that I had been boiling got burned and clumped together, and I had poured too much sake into whatever it was that I had been frying, causing a fire to happen. And as if that wasn't bad enough, Levi had heard the ruckus and came in—just as I tripped on oil I had spilled, knocking over the still boiling pot of pasta all over him.

Thinking about it almost made me wince. To say the least, Levi had _not _been pleased. It was bad enough that Levi and I had never gotten along very well—ever since the day we met, after hearing the first words leave one another's lips, we had instantly developed a mutual dislike towards the other. Something about us just didn't click well. His dislike for me had deepened immensely that day, and if Squalo and Kazuki hadn't rushed in to save the day, I wondered if a fight would've broken out.

Although I had an idea of who'd win that fight, no doubt.

Chie's astonished voice broke me from my reverie. "I'm surprised that you've been surviving. Who cooks your meals, then?"

"The other members in the Family," I told her vaguely, laughing. "They tried teaching me properly, but it really didn't turn out very well." It was usually Lussuria that cooked our meals along with some other members that weren't in our own specific group. He was definitely the best chef out of all of us, but Squalo wasn't all too bad, either. Suzu was amazing at cooking, but she never did it. Kazuki was mediocre at it, but any complicated dishes only resulted in wasting food. The rest of us were hopeless.

"How will you provide meals for your husband when you get married in a few years?" she half reprimanded, half joked. The smile was laced into her words, her tone light.

"In a few _years_," I emphasized with a laugh. "I still have time. I mean, I'm sure that I'll be able to improve my cuisine skills by that time." Though the mere thought of getting married with anyone was incredulous to me. Something like that was a very distant contemplation—distant and so far away, so unrealistic, that I could hardly even see it.

Shaking her head despite not looking at me, Chie sighed, "Cooking is such an important skill to have."

"I can confidently say that I'm an expert at making instant noodles," I grinned at her, joining in when she laughed.

"I'll have to teach you sometime," she absentmindedly invited.

"Trust me," I let out a sigh, "you'll regret ever letting me touch something in your kitchen. It's why I'm not in home economics."

The ruby-orbed female denied, "You can't be _that _horrible at it."

If only she knew about the time where I had accidentally baked a cake full of egg shells and was as dry as sand. It had been hard as well, instead of being soft and spongy. It had taken me hours to make something like that, too. Squalo had a fit, wondering aloud about how someone could have such horrible skills when it came to something mundane like cooking, yet could kill someone with a tool as simple as a straw.

"I am," I reassured her. "And for the record, I can't sew properly, either."

Chie looked horrified. "I can almost imagine the next words coming out of your mouth. It'll be something just as appalling as 'I can't clean.'"

"Hey, I can do something like _that_," I rejected with a laugh. "And I can do the laundry, too. It's just that I'm not suited for those kinds of things, you know?"

"That's not true," she denied, washing her paint brush in a small bucket of water before dipping it into some black paint. "You just need to practice a bit more. I'm sure that eventually you'll get the hang of it."

"You have no idea how long I've been trying to cook properly," I reminded her. "My cooking skills have _not _improved."

She was silent for a moment before suggesting, "Maybe it's who's teaching you? I mean, I knew that when I took English lessons when I was younger, the method in which the teacher taught the steps to me just didn't really register. I switched teachers and the way they taught the class was different, but I really improved. I think that's what it's like for you."

"A lot of different people have tried," I informed her with a sigh. "There's been no progress. I'm really just not that talented when it comes to it. I eventually gave up trying, because every time I made something, I would just throw it away in the end. It was a complete waste of time _and _food."

"Maybe you just still haven't found the right tutor for you yet," Chie offered, pausing in her painting to redo her messy bun.

"Maybe," I agreed a bit doubtfully.

"Hmm," she hummed as she created a stroke of dark chocolate. "If not art, cooking, and sewing... How about sports?"

I let out a laugh. "I'm not really a fan of sports either, but I'm not horrible at them." Or, rather, I _couldn't _be. It really wasn't a choice anymore. In order to survive in the mafia world, good reflexes, instinct, and endurance were things that kept you alive. Strength allowed you to strike back against the enemy to defend yourself. Moving quickly and for long periods of time was what would save you from being killed. Although, in Varia, running away to survive wasn't something that people were very proud of.

The trainers in Varia were brutal. Something like running ten kilometres made them scoff in disbelief because they felt like it was too short of a distance. Taking more than six seconds to sprint fifty metres was pathetic. Back there, when playing something like dodgeball, if the balls missed and hit the wall and it didn't leave an indent, you were considered weak. Jumping over three meters high? They could do it without even trying.

Thinking back on it, I felt sick. I couldn't remember all the times that I had broken a few ribs after getting hit by a ball, or how often I had gotten punishment for not being able to jump high enough or run fast enough. For the first few months, I spent more days in a hospital than I did training.

It was sad to think that eventually though, I began to get used to the routine.

It certainly wasn't normal.

"Really?" she giggled again, her eyes bright as she looked at me over her shoulder. "Which sport is your favourite?"

I didn't even need to think about it. "Skating. I'm not amazing at it, but I know my basics. It's really fun." Ever since the first time that I had tried it, I couldn't get it out of my mind. I loved the way it felt to glide so easily, so smoothly, along the ice.

"Ah!" the onyx-haired young woman laughed. "I can see that. I wouldn't have been surprised if you said something like rugby though. I was almost expecting it, you know?"

"_Rugby_?" I inquired, lifting my eyes up off the sheet I had been looking at to quirk an eyebrow at her. "I don't really hate it, but I'm not very good at it."

"I understand what you mean," she reassured me.

"How about you?" The smile was in my voice. "What kind of sports do you like?"

She was silent for a moment. I regarded her curiously, taking notice of the way her face flushed delicately. A look of nervousness played along her features, confusing me slightly. I didn't quite understand at first, but all these different theories began swirling up inside my mind.

Eventually, she mumbled quietly, "Baseball."

"Baseball?" I echoed, a grin stretching along my lips. "Yamamoto plays baseball, you know? I saw you that day—you were watching their practice. Why didn't you try for the manager position?"

Her blush darkened, but the disappointment was clear in her voice. "Ah... I-I don't think that it would've worked out very well."

"Why not?"

"Because..." she trailed off, not bothering to finish. Before I could say anything, she changed the subject. "Afterward, let's go put up posters around the school together, okay?"

Scrutinizing her expression for a moment, I decided it was better not to push her. It seemed like it was definitely something she didn't want to speak about yet. So I smiled at her and agreed, "Okay."

* * *

><p>"Be careful on your way home!" I shouted out to the retreating figure of the Student Council President. I waved enthusiastically at her, catching the faint sound of her melodic laughter as she returned the gesture.<p>

"You too!" she called back, her high and sweet voice smiling.

I grinned even though she probably couldn't see it anymore, and as she rounded the corner, I let my arm drop. I began my walk back to the Sawada household, knowing that most of the Guardians were most likely staying over for dinner.

With each step that I took, the smile that I had on my face kept dimming down. When I reached a block away from where I had parted with Chie, I halted in my steps. Tensed, I said softly, "Just when I was getting tired of waiting."

A heartbeat or two passed before a figure dropped down from a nearby tree, the branches and leaves rustling as the person moved and landed gracefully on the cement pavement a few feet away from where I stood.

Clad in a classical black suit and tie, the man had sunglasses that provided a barrier between his eyes and mine. A black fedora sat on top of his head, tufts of dark blond showing underneath. He wasn't extremely tall, but he had a ridiculously muscular build. I was surprised that the tree could withstand someone of such a large size—I wondered about his muscle mass. How had he even fit in between all those woven branches?

I was expecting something, but there was nothing. The male stood there silently.

"Well?" I tilted my head to the side. "What do you have for me?"

There was no response from the man.

"You've been following me around for the past few days," I stated matter-of-factly. "I'm surprised that you haven't done anything yet. Observing, I guessed. But then surely you knew that you'd be found out. This means that you're prepared for it—or is it the perfect time now for your side's plans to take place?" I shrugged. "Either way, there must be something for me if you've decided to show yourself rather than attempt to flee."

This time, the man lifted a hand slowly, as if to show he wasn't a threat. Slipped in between his index and middle finger was a small piece of paper, which he threw at me lightly. I caught it warily, opening up the one fold. In it was an address typed out from a computer.

"Go to that address at two tonight. Alone." His voice was deep, rough.

My eyes narrowed slightly, my lips pressing together to form a thin line for a moment. When I looked back up at him, I forced a cheery smile. "Sorry," I kept my voice light, "but two in the morning doesn't work for me."

"It isn't negotiable," he stated.

"It isn't?" I asked innocently. I stared steadily at the area where his eyes would be if the sunglasses weren't blocking them. "But from what I know, there's got to be some reason you want me to go there alone. Normally, you'd want me to tell the Guardians if you're after the Rings. So this means you want something from _me_. And you won't be able to get what you want from me if I don't show up."

The man's voice was monotone. "What are you saying?"

"That two in the morning doesn't work for me," I repeated my earlier statement. "At that time, I'm not going to show up."

"And why is it of such inconvenience to you?" His tone was barely traced with mild curiosity.

"Sorry," I apologized again, "but I don't think I need to answer that." I paused for a moment, and then said, "Five."

He said again, "Five?"

Nodding, I beamed at him. "Tell your Boss that that's the time I'll be showing up at this address. Five AM."

Not even hesitating to agree, he said, "Fine."

My eyebrows shot upwards at hearing no protest about it. Somewhat amused, I observed, "So it really didn't matter when I visited anyways?"

"Not at all," he answered honestly. "The outcome of what will occur will not change." So that just meant that two AM was more convenient for his Boss, eh?

"You're right," I agreed with a smile. It slipped off quickly, however, and was replaced with a solemn expression. "You'll all be gone by the time I'm finished."  
>There was a humorless chuckle that lasted only a moment. "It's best not to underestimate our forces. When did children these days become so arrogant?"<p>

"I wouldn't call it arrogance," I denied. "It's merely fact."

He remained quiet for a moment before saying, "Five AM at that address. Tell no one, and come alone. If you tell anyone, we'll surely know."

"What'll happen then?" I asked for the sake of it. I wanted to hear what kind of threat they'd use when it came to that. Would it be the usual cliché ones?

"Do you dare find out?" he countered effortlessly, his voice still flat and emotionless.

I let out a small laugh. "I have no intention to. And besides, you didn't need to tell me to come alone." I began placing one foot in front of the other, crumpling the small piece of paper in my hand easily as I did so. There was no way I'd forget the address that was burned into my mind. I opened up my bag just wide enough to shove it inside.

I glanced at the man from the corner of my eye as I passed him, and I was sure he was doing the same. However, no hostile movements were made between either of us, and when I looked back at him after a few more steps, he was gone.

My eyes narrowed, my lips pursing slightly as I stared at where he had just been.

For a few moments, I just stood there gazing at the vacant spot. I felt just a bit queasy, but I shook the feeling off. Turning on my heels, I continued my way back home. And as my feet hit the pavement lightly with each step, I couldn't help but wonder what I was going to be walking into.

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><p><strong>AN: **

And that concludes the ninth chapter! Man, I'm getting excited! Not only is something big going to happen next chapter, but this chapter also showed a more serious and dark side of Azumi! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and that you're looking forward to the next one! Although I'm not quite sure when that next update will be. OTL. Sorry! x.x"

I'd also like to apologize for any spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and OOCness that might have occurred in this chapter!

LOTS OF LOVE AND THANKS TO;

**10th Squad 3rd Seat, kira86, Reading Awesome Stories, Smirk 'N' Sweat Drop, D, Geny789, Youknowwhothisis, Vongola Xerxes, pitifuldreamer666, nimrodsforever, zombie gonna get meh, Yukari-chan s2, Nomurai, and xXMizukiXx**

Thank you guys so much for your amazing support! You have no idea how much it means to me that you guys reviewed, and it gave me the motivation I needed in order to continue writing. So thank you _so _much, you guys. I don't think that I'd have this chapter up right now if it hadn't been for you all!

And I'd also love to thank everyone who alerted and favourited, but if you have time to do that, want to drop me a review as well? (;

I'll take a moment to address a few of my reviewers and respond, so if you want, feel free to skip this part!

To **Geny789**;

Why, thank you for your flattering comment! I hope that this made your day better than it already was, and that you also enjoyed the chapter! Please don't apologize; I feel honoured to get a review from you, so thank you. It's okay if your reviews are cliche or corny; in all honesty, I love those. LOL. I'd love to hear from you again~ And yes, your review _did _take part in helping me get up the motivation to complete this chapter! Thank you so much for reading! (:

To **Vongola Xerxes**;

Damnit, I know this is going to be so unrelated, but I HAVE to say it; your name "Xerxes"? SUPER AWESOMELY COOL. Okay, and now with that random note out of the way... LOL. I don't think that I'd _stop _the story, but it's just that it'd be one of those stories you take FOREVER to update, you know what I mean? =P Thank you for being so understanding; but in all honesty, I feel like I'm just being greedy. x.x" -hugs back- Thank you so much for your support, I teared up a bit when I read it! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope to hear from you again! (:

To **Smirk 'N' Sweat Drop**;

Did you send in two reviews? HAHA. I'm glad that you think this story is that awesome. It makes me happy to know this. (: You're flattering me too much. And don't worry, your reviews don't sound stupid! I love hearing from you, and I love how you always support me. HAHA. Your faith is amazing. Thank you so much for your encouragement! I _do _plan to have fun while I write this story, so I hope that you look forward to it!

To **nimrodsforever**;

HAHA. I'm glad to know that you think this story is too awesome to be put down! It really warms my heart to know that you think that, and how much you love this story. I'll try my best to progress this and make it into a story that you love even more, so I hope that you'll continue supporting me through that! I'm glad that you like all the details I put in! Sometimes I'm worried I put in too many details, but... ;D Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!

To **Nomurai**;

I'm glad to know that you think I have good grammar as well as a good plot going! And it's _very _relieving to know that my readers think I keep everyone in character. (: HAHA, no worries! But, if you don't mind, I'll be holding you to your promise. =P I'm glad that you found my fanfic! And to answer your question, yes. Hibari is technically older than everyone; Tsuna and them are around 14 while Hibari's 16. Or, well, that's what it says... I don't quite remember where I read it, though. I read the last part of your review and laughed so hard; that'd totally be a shoujo manga! =P Thank you so much for your amazing review! I hope that you enjoyed the newest chapter! (:

To **xXMizukiXx**;

Nono, please don't apologize to me! Don't worry, I forgot my account password so many times earlier on that I always had to ask for a password recovery thing. HAHA. Aw, thank you. I'm glad that you know me from Shitsuren and that you're one of those people that have stuck with me for so long! Nah, I should thank _you _for reading and being faithful to me even though I had always updated that fanfic so late. XD I'm glad that you enjoy all my fanfics, and that you also like this one! Thanks for your encouragement and continuous support; I'll try my best to keep updating all my stories! Thank you for reading and reviewing for me, and I hope that you liked the newest chapter!

And that concludes my long, long list of repliessss. HAHA.

Once again, I cannot stress how grateful I am to all of you that have reviewed for me. It truly does motivate me and encourage me to continue writing, even when I feel like I shouldn't be. You guys are absolutely amazingly fantastic, and I'm so thankful to have you guys as my readers. So let me say again, **_thank you to those who reviewed._ **I love you guys so much! (:

I hope that you guys are looking forward to the next update, whenever that may be... OTL. It's probably going to be a super long chapter with a bunch of action in it and a lot of other stuff... You'll probably see a new side of Azumi that you haven't seen yet; the more cocky and confident side of her, opposed the sweet and kind one that you usually see. And... yeah. HAHA. This chapter actually included some mystery that surrounds Azumi, so I hope that it keeps you guys wondering!

JUST ONCE MORE; thank you for ALL your support, you guys!

I hope you guys liked this chapter, and if you did, tell me what you thought of it! **Like it? Love it? Hate it? **Tell me in a review or PM me! (: Although, y'know, reviews are always appreciated. HAHA.

So yes! _Please _review for me if you think I deserved it, and...

Until next time! (:

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	10. Phase I

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! All rights go to Amano Akira.**

**A/N:**

YO, GUYS. IT'S BEEN A WHILE, HASN'T IT? Well, I don't know if you guys consider a month and a half a long time or not. I'd reckon so, though. Thank you so much for your continuous and encouraging support, guys! It means a lot. (:

I APOLOGIZE. April and May were hectic for me because I had been an organizer for an event, and June's been insane because of exams and finals. That's why it's taken me so long to write this chapter...

Not to mention the fact that it's eighteen pages long. WAIT, WHAT? Yes. You heard right. Eighteen pages of size eleven font. I'm going to say sorry right here, right now, for the wall of text that may or may not make your eyes bleed.

But, you know, there's action in this. So that's nearly guaranteed eye-ripping from you guys. SO I'M SORRY. BNOEWNBONWBOEB. But I hope you guys enjoy it, because it shows a new side of Azumi!

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><p><strong>CHAPTER TEN;<strong>

_"Phase I"_

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><p>My footsteps were light as they kissed the pavement, but in the extremely early morning, they were noisy and harsh. It was no longer completely dark outside, but it was certainly dim and gloomy. The clouds formed a dark gray blanket looming overhead, but it was still warm despite the time.<p>

Glancing around at my surroundings as I continued to make my way toward the designated meeting point, I realized that I was heading down towards a more isolated area where there were fewer houses. It was to allow more spacious buildings for people who could afford extravagance, and indeed, luxurious it was.

I couldn't deny the fact that I was a bit anxious—even though I had been in Varia for two years already and had gone on solo missions, it wasn't something that occurred extremely frequently. A lot of the time, we received extremely large missions that required a team that could cooperate well together. It was rare for tremendously significant mission requests to be designed for just a single person.

It wasn't as if I had no confidence in the matter, because I knew that if I was in Varia, I wasn't someone that normal mafia forces could defeat easily. However, it was also a problem that I wasn't sure who my enemy was, which meant that I could be facing someone just as dangerous and strong as I was, if not more. The age mattered a lot too, since the older they were, the more experience they'd have compared to my limited familiarity.

When I had left the household earlier on, Tsuna had been sleeping soundly on his bed. He was mumbling in his sleep, though they were indecipherable. He was smiling though, so whatever he was dreaming about, it couldn't have been that bad. Reborn had been asleep in his hammock as well, dressed in his dark blue pajamas this time. Fuuta, Lambo, and I-Pin had fallen asleep with Nana on the couch in the living room, since they had been watching a movie with one another in the late evening.

There had been a certain peacefulness that had settled down snugly in the house—it made me feel all tender on the inside. The warmth that the Sawada household radiated and encased was so powerful, it was almost overwhelming.

It felt like a harmony that should never be disturbed.

At this point, I stopped directly in front of the house that had been on the slip of paper. It looked like a regular house in this district, with a large area of land covered in beautiful plants. The fencing was, like most houses, made with cement, and a large white gate attached in the front. It was definitely a massive house, and nothing seemed quite out of the ordinary.

But I knew better than that.

My eyes darted around me. They shifted around to the trees, taking notice of the small video cameras that were hidden expertly in the leaves and branches. I had no doubt that numerous traps lay along the pathway leading up to the house, and that was only if you could get past the gate which had some sort of high-tech security system implanted along with it.

I stood with my hands in the pocket of my long black trench coat, which I had slipped on without bothering to button up or tie together over my casual t-shirt and sweats. There was only a brief moment for me to contemplate what I should do first when, suddenly, the gate swung open all on its own.

A voice, clear as day yet emitted from a hidden speaker, was a male's and held more than just a tad of arrogance. Rather, it overflowed with it. "Welcome to my lair, Shimizu Azumi. I've been expecting you."

I smiled at the cliché line. "Will I be allowed inside to greet you face-to-face?"

"Of course." The smirk was singing in his tone. "Don't look so wary, all traps and systems have been disabled for you to pass through without any trouble. Upon entering the house, however, is an entirely different matter."

"Oh?" I tilted my head, eyeing the residence a bit skeptically. I wondered if it would blow up the moment I entered it.

"I'll have men at the entrance to lead you to me," the smooth voice notified me. "Please don't cause me too much trouble by murdering them, will you? I don't like having to clean up messes. It's something that doesn't suit my image, and I'm sure you'll agree."

"Of course," I echoed his earlier words. "Well, then... I'll be looking forward to meeting you. I'm sorry for the intrusion." On guard, I walked through the gate, expecting _something_, but there was nothing at all. Even so, I was still cautious all the way up to the main door, which was enormous and grand. It was an entirely modernized house, the complete opposite of Hibari's traditional one.

Before I could even touch the silver handle of the door, it slowly opened without a sound. The sight that greeted me were numerous men and women clad in similar black suits, all of them lining either side of the vast hallway that was lit brightly by hanging chandeliers. They didn't bow upon seeing me, but I hadn't expected it.

"Welcome," they all said simultaneously. However, it didn't sound the least bit welcoming. All of their voices seemed to hold no emotion, and their expressions conveyed nothing.

"Good morning," I offered, trying to keep my voice light. I took notice of how the walls were a light gray, and how the marble tiles were a dark black all throughout the foyer. The large winding staircase that led up to the second floor held an intricate black banister and the steps weren't carpeted, but were also created from black marble or granite.

The male on my right hand side stepped out of the line that the others had formed. "Follow me. Our master is waiting for your arrival." Without another word, he walked swiftly down the path that had been lined with his fellow teammates, and I only had a moment to stare at his broad back before my footsteps automatically followed after his.

Six of them, who had been near the front of the line right after the man that was leading me, also broke off from the line to follow behind. Their footsteps all matched and were synchronized in a way that made it sound like a march, rather than just people walking normally.

We walked past many open rooms that held no doors, allowing my eyes to pick up what was inside. They had all been furnished with materials that ranged from the standard furniture to more luxurious ones, but the thing that caught my eye wasn't that. In each room, there was more than just one vase of beautiful flowers. The halls, too, held numerous bundles of flowers that sat in small vases that seemed to be built into the wall. There were myriads of different kinds, none less beautiful than the rest. They were all in full bloom, their petals large and delicate looking. They seemed to be the only things that carried colour in the otherwise neutralized house, where only shades of black, white, and gray seemed to reside.

Something about the flowers struck me just as we entered a room that looked no different from the rest with its grey walls and furniture. Black armchairs were arranged into a semi circle around a black, low coffee table and an empty white bookshelf had been pushed into the corner of the room. The floor was still, like the rest of the house, tiled with black marble that was polished and shining, yet somehow didn't reflect the bright lights nor showed our reflections.

The man in the front moved to where the bookcase was. His hand skimmed along the outline of the top shelf, and then he crouched down to tap the last shelf once. Straightening himself up again, his hand pushed along the back of the middle shelf. I watched with slightly narrowed eyes as a medium-sized square portion of the shelf sunk into the wall, revealing the button that it was. The floor in the middle of the room, which held nothing and had been vacant, slowly slid open to reveal a cement staircase that led further down. The entire process had been completely silent, and there had hardly been any vibrations along the floor. If I hadn't been watching the rectangular segment of the floor opening in front of me, I never would've known it existed.

Abruptly, the torches that lined the staircase flared, illuminating the previously dark passage. The man in the front began to descend down, and I had no choice but to continue along with him. It was got cooler the deeper we went down, the steps occasionally turning. None of us spoke, letting silence sleep between all of us as tension hung in the atmosphere thickly.

Taking a hand out of my trench coat pocket, I let my fingertips skim lightly along the cement wall that we walked beside. It was cool to the touch, almost to the point where it was freezing. The passage way wasn't narrow—in fact, it was quite spacious. Yet I bit down on my tongue and pressed my lips tightly together. I retreated my hand away from the wall, stuffing it back into my pocket. My hands clenched into tight white fists, and I tried to clear my mind.

It took a few minutes for us to finally reach the end of the steps, which revealed two large double doors. The man in the front approached the security system that was beside the doors, opening up the covered machine. He punched in some numbers on the pad, but his body was blocking it so that I couldn't see. Afterward, he placed his palm on the scanner that was there, and after a moment, a small, high-pitched beep signified his authorized entry. The doors slowly opened, a bright stream of light spilling through the cracked opening until, eventually, it filled the space where I was.

The room that stretched in front of me was more than just gigantic, and it was empty except for the large chair that, I noticed, was very similar to a king's throne. It sat on top of the highest platform, which had many other ones below it, almost like steps. The walls and floors of the room were made of the same cement that lined the staircase on my way down. It was a brightly lit room, with chandeliers that hung from the ceiling, which was a large mirror that reflected everything crystal clear.

I whipped my head over my shoulder, noticing that the group of people behind me were still there. My eyes zoomed in on the door, which was left wide open. More relieved, I turned back to the front, where a male sat on the throne casually, one ankle propped up onto the other leg, near the knee.

His hair was short and flat, the strands a dark shade of navy blue that could almost be mistaken as black. His skin was smooth and flawless, stretching over sharp and prominently defined features. There was no doubt that he was definitely good-looking, and from the way his lips were pulled up into an arrogant smirk and the way that self-confidence radiated off of him in violent waves, he knew that fact well. His eyes, which were light cobalt, stared down at me in a way that said, "I'm better than you in every way." Clad in a classical black suit that fit his physique perfectly, the tie that he had on was a light and bright green. He looked like he was in his early twenties; I was definitely sure that there was no way he was around my age.

"Once again, I welcome you to my home." The words rolled off his tongue silkily, haughtily.

"Well," I smiled at him without much happiness. "I'm glad that you'll have me."

He let out a chuckle, twirling a rose easily with his fingers. He evaded all he thorns effortlessly, an amused look on his face. "Should I be offended that you came to me wearing such an outfit?"

I briefly glanced down at what I was wearing, and answered, "I saw no reason to dress myself up for this occasion. Was I supposed to?"

He was silent for a moment, contemplating it. Eventually, he shook his head and smiled at me, but it wasn't a smile of kindness. Rather, it was a menacing smile that was covered by his angelic looks. "No, it doesn't matter. Not to _me_, at least. After all, by the time I'm through with you, you won't even be in one piece. Although it's a shame—dying in such clothes, I mean. Wouldn't you rather die in beauty and grace?"

"Ah, is that so? In that case, I'm glad that I didn't dress up to come here," I told him honestly, watching as he quirked an eyebrow at me. "It would be horrible to stain any nice piece of clothing with your blood. As you soak in a pile of crimson made by yourself, I hope that you'll at least be content with your choice of clothes for the day."

He let out a loud, humourless laugh that reverberated through the walls. His narrowed eyes glinted as they met mine. "You talk big for someone so small."

"Is that a compliment?" I inquired.

He ignored my question. "Are you truly going to raise a hand against _me_?"

"I don't see why I shouldn't," I replied evenly, watching him cautiously. There was something about him that was unnerving, and I didn't like it. My hands clenched even tighter in the pockets of my trench coat, my body rigid and tense.

His head tilted slightly, and he smiled a wide, threatening smile. It was the smile of someone who looked as if he was about to break another. "How about if I tell you that if you don't submit to me tamely, I'll kill your parents?"

For just a second, my heart stopped before restarting rapidly in my chest. The pulses pounded loudly through my ears like a jackhammer, my eyes widening just a fraction, much to his satisfaction. My throat tightened slightly, but I forced everything away and told myself to calm down.

Eyeing him, I said evenly, "That's impossible."

"You say that because?" The infuriating smile was still on his face, and he gazed down at me like I was dirt beneath his shoe.

"You're here in Japan, and they aren't. My parents are one of the strongest members in Varia—they won't be beaten by the likes of you." The last time I had seen them, which was just three days before I left to come to Namimori, they had been about to set off on a mission in Russia. They had said it would definitely take more than just a month to get their job done cleanly, and they had said it wasn't a dangerous mission. There was absolutely no way that people of my parents' calibre would be defeated so easily, let alone by someone who looked like the man in front of me.

He let out another forbidding chuckle. His eyes, which were a gentle shade of azure, seemed to be darker than even the clutches of darkness. "You have so much faith in your parents. It's cute, but also disgusting. Are they your idols? Your role models? Children your age would normally hold some kind of hatred towards their parents."

"They're my parents," I stated, meeting his eyes with my own narrowed ones. "Hating my parents is impossible—they've been nothing but good to me. They've taken amazing care of me, loved me, and protected me."

"The words that leave your lips don't match up with your actions," he countered, propping an elbow up along the armrest of his throne-like chair. He placed his chin onto his palm casually, his free hand still playing gracefully with the rose. "I told you—if you don't come with me quietly, I'll destroy the parents that you love so much. No longer will you be able to see them. Is that what you truly want?"

My jaw tightened, my heart clenching in my chest. A sense of dread pooled up in my stomach, and I pressed my lips tightly together. There was no way that he was telling the truth—after all, I knew the extent of my parents' strength. "A bluff like yours is easy to see through."

"You sound so confident about that," he noted with slight entertainment lacing his tenor melody. "There isn't a part of you that wonders whether or not it's possible? There isn't a part of you that doesn't feel scared for your parents? Think this through carefully, Shimizu Azumi. The lives of your parents—those you have just told me cherished you like the world, are in your very hands. Can you throw them away so carelessly, not knowing the definite truth?"

His words struck me like a hit to the face, and for a moment, my resolution wavered dangerously. It was true that I wasn't one hundred percent sure whether or not my parents' safety was guaranteed, and it was true that if he wasn't lying, I would be throwing my parents in danger.

This was pathetic—I was still like this. This was why I would never catch up to her. It was why she stood at the top, bathed in the bright spotlights that illuminated everything about her. It was why she looked down at me from her higher position, staring down her nose at me in a way that made me feel like I was nothing but another part of the shadows.

It was why I was never fit to be like this, living this life. It was why I knew Tsuna and Yamamoto, whom I felt like I could connect with so deeply, were not quite suited for the dark and cruel world of the mafia.

Something I had never wanted... Something that I had never thought I'd ever obtain.

Images of my parents came flashing back to me, their smiling faces as I walked through the Varia base back in Italy. I remembered so clearly the way their arms felt around me as they pulled me to them, and the way they had smiled at me so brightly, so lovingly. The looks in their eyes, their voices—and then I remembered everything they had taught me.

Somehow, I found it in me to smile up at him even though I wanted to do nothing more than rip his throat out. "My parents really can't die because of you if you disappear from this world, can they?"

"I never said _I _was the one who would kill them," he reminded me, his sadistic smile stretching across his face. "Is this hard for you, Shimizu Azumi? Are you suffering on the inside, not knowing what to do?"

He was right, but there was no way that I would let him feel the satisfaction of knowing it.  
><em><br>Remember, _my mind whispered to me. _This is just a psychological attack. He's just trying to weaken you. It means nothing. It's all empty threats. _

In the back of my head, I ignored the way my thoughts' voice wavered at the ends.

I wasn't sure how, but my voice came out more solidly than I had expected. "It's none of your concern. I've had enough of this talk—I have somewhere I need to be."

"Ah, that's right." He snickered. "You actually didn't tell any of your friends about this place. I had been slightly surprised—after all, are you so eager for your death?"

"You as well," I returned. "Inviting me here..." _I'll kill you_.

"Your friends will have quite a shock," his eyes left mine to stare at the rose he played with, "when you don't show up to school nor appear at home for a few days. I wonder what their reactions will be when they find you lying dead, rotting away in a place like this."

I let out a small laugh, half of it genuine and half of it forced through my gritted teeth. "Is that what you're worried about? Because I'm certainly not. I'll be able to follow my regular schedule with ease, since taking care of you shouldn't take more than an hour of my time at most."

"Don't get carried away now." His teeth flashed. "I want to take my time playing with you." He stopped twirling the elegant flower in his hand, clutching it loosely in his hand while he snapped his fingers together. The sound was loud, and instantly, my guard shot up to the sky.

A minute or two passed in silence, making me furrow my eyebrows in confusion. Nothing was happening—there was no smoke bomb being thrown and no swords flying out of hidden openings. Nothing came out and flew at me, and the man on the throne didn't move at all. However, the smirk that adorned his face clearly stated that something was about to happen, even if I didn't know it.

My lips pressed together tightly. I didn't want to attack him yet in case that was what he wanted. There was nothing I could do but wait and brace myself for what he had prepared for me. One wrong move and I could be walking into my very own deathtrap.

Unsurprisingly, I didn't have to wait much longer to realize what had happened when his fingers snapped. A dull, lifeless rhythm of a march reached my ears, and I instantly whipped my head to the large double doors in anticipation. As the footsteps drew closer and closer, the more wary I was.

The men filed into the room, raising their feet at the same time, their shoes colliding against the pavement in unison. Every single one of them held a deadpanned expression, a cold aura surrounding the group of both genders. Immediately, I spotted the different weapons that each of them held in their hands. They came in and created a circle around me, closing me in. The group that had come in with me in the very beginning had been lost in the sea of black suits and sunglasses. There had to be at least fifty of them, if not more.

My lips pulled down into a frown, and I glanced back at their leader. He looked completely at ease, and his features were rearranged into one that was taunting. He wasn't the least bit fazed even though he knew that these numbers were nothing in comparison to what Varia members had been through.

In Varia, we ate these types of guys for breakfast.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" he questioned them, a hint of impatience tainting his otherwise flawless tone.

At this indirect command, all the people rushed towards me with their weapons raised. There were no shouts of rage and effort that escaped them, nor was there a war cry like I had experienced quite frequently in the past. Each and every single one of them was completely silent, nothing betraying how they felt on the inside.

I wondered, as I elbowed someone swiftly in their stomach and caught their sword right before it clattered to the floor, if they were suppressing their emotions. I wondered how they felt, being forced into a battle like this that I was sure they knew had little chance of victory. Did they know that they were being used so easily just for his entertainment? And if they did, why weren't they doing anything about it?

With my free hand that wasn't holding the katana, I clenched it into a fist and slammed it against a woman's cheek, sending her crashing into two of the people behind her. I blocked an oncoming attack with the sword, the sound of metal clashing against metal ringing between all of us for a moment.

Seeing their impassiveness, even though their lives were on the line, made my stomach tumble over and over. I felt nauseous as I stared at their nonchalant expressions, my heart thumping louder. I wasn't sure why, but I felt so angry. It was a feeling that boiled inside me, spilling over the brim and flooding my system. Almost as if my blood cells were embedded with it, the pure rage that had erupted inside me spread like wildfire from my heart all the way to the tips of my fingers and my toes.

Livid, my movements became less fluent, but they had more impact than before. Even though I knew I was taking out my unreasonable fury on people that may or may not have deserved it, I couldn't bring myself to stop at that moment. All I knew was that I hated it—I hated it so much, and I was blinded by the frustration that had taken over me. There was nothing I wanted more than to just get rid of them, to make them go away. I didn't want to see them anymore.

It wasn't hard to tell that these people were trained, but they definitely weren't anything near skilled. It wasn't as if they were completely new at it, but they certainly weren't very formidable opponents. I had no doubt that no matter who it was, whether it be Yamamoto, Gokudera, Ryohei, or Tsuna, they would not have any problems with the group of Mafioso, either. Hibari would definitely have no trouble handling them. In fact, I could imagine how it would bore him.

And upon seeing an imagine of the onyx-haired Cloud Guardian, my lips only tightened even more. More anger. More frustration. Another urge to scream.

For a few minutes, the only sounds that were heard were the clashing of weapons against weapons, or the sound of something hitting the floor. Fabric rustling, footsteps, the air being disturbed. But no matter how hard I hit or how painful it was, not a single sound rolled off of their tongues and filled the air. It was almost as if they were mute, or if something prevented them from speaking. It irritated me to no end—_why_?

I punched one of them fiercely in the gut, and then kneed the last one roughly in the crotch. They both fell to the floor noiselessly, their weapons clattering onto the floor. I was breathing heavily, but not because it had been difficult. My ragged gasps were because of all the anger I had. It felt like I couldn't breathe properly to calm myself down, even though all of them were no longer in sight.

It had been so horrible of me to lash out at them like that, even though I hadn't intended to do so in the beginning. Despite that, I couldn't help it. They just—all of them... They reminded me of how it was—

"Well," he interrupted my musing, "that was over quickly. I wonder if that's because you're of, as many people call it, 'Varia quality'?"

I pursed my lips at him, throwing away the sword I had been using to counter weapon attacks. It hit the wall piercingly and then clanged onto the floor. "Who are you?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He twirled the rose once more. "I go by the name of Hayakawa Masaru."

"And what do you want with me?" My breathing eventually stopped becoming gasps, and I inhaled deeply, trying to settle and tame the rage that was in my system. It wasn't easy, but I could feel it ebbing away, retreating at a slow snail's pace.

"I want you gone," he answered simply, his eyes meeting mine.

Scrutinizing him carefully, I inquired, "Why?"

"Because you're a nuisance," came his blunt reply. My eyebrows strung together—not because it was the first time I had heard such words, but because I didn't understand. I couldn't see how I was bothering him in any way, shape, or form.

"How, exactly?" I felt stupid for asking it aloud, but the words slipped out before I could hold them back. I wanted to know what he was talking about—to actually be aware of _why_ I was the one who was called here. It made no sense why it was _me_. I didn't have the Vongola Rings. I didn't have any power over the Vongola Famiglia. There was nothing about me that would make him want me to disappear.

Masaru let out a disbelieving scoff, his voice mocking and holding a sense of false disappointment. "And to think that I had thought you were worth my time, even for a second." He paused at this, analyzing me just like I was observing him. No smile decorated his face as he explained in a bored tone, "You're in the way of my plans. I never thought that the Vongola would catch wind of my plan and send someone to disturb it. I hadn't planned for another figure popping into the picture, and you've set me back. It had been annoying enough to revise my schedule and rethink my scheme, but you have absolutely no idea how irritating it was to carry it out. My patience began to wear thin."

"I could say the same for me," I informed him, placing my hands back into the pockets of my trench coat.

An egotistical smirk danced along his thin lips. "Yes, I know. You've been snooping around trying to find this place, but you weren't even close."

It aggravated me to know he was right. I hadn't even been around this district much, and even when I had passed it, I didn't even give it a second glance. Everything about it had looked like a normal house, and yet the outside appearance was more than just deceiving. It made me even more irritated to know that even if I had suspected this place, I never would've found the underground passage unless I had broken the entire house apart.

"That doesn't matter. You wanted me to come, and here I am," I told him, trying to sound light. It didn't work though, and my voice came out solemn, matching the look that was on my face. "Yet you're not doing anything."

"Like I said," he started, "I merely want you to come with me quietly. I don't intend to dirty my hands with your unpleasant blood."

"And I said that I wasn't going to just give up," I reminded him quietly. "I'm not here to play games with you, nor am I here to waste time with talk that has nothing to back it up. I'm here to destroy you, a threat that has presented itself to the Vongola Famiglia."

He let out a loud, exasperated sigh. His lips tilted downwards, his eyes narrowing. "I hate people like you—people that are so confident in what they are capable of, which is nothing. Dealing with people of your nature is more than annoying. Your death, Shimizu Azumi, will _not _be a fast and merciful one. I'll make sure to kill you slowly and painfully."

Inside the pockets of my trench coat, my hands closed around two small, cool cylindrical objects. Pulling my hands out of my pockets, I felt the pad of my thumb skim across a line on both of the two objects. Instantly, the metal began to expand, almost as if unlocked. Within a second, the previously palm-sized containers had extended into two extremely long spears.

"You can lift those?" he asked, faking surprise. "They look much too heavy for you to carry. They're over twice your size. Are you sure you can fight efficiently with those? I don't want you to lose before we even begin."

"I'm fine, thanks," I told him without any real gratitude. The weight and feel of my weapons were familiar and almost reassuring—it was a reminder that this was what I was, who I was, and what I needed to do.

When I had first gone to get the weapons most suited for me, they had stood out immediately. The weapon smith had said that a lot of the time, it was the weapon that picked the owner, not the other way around. It was just like some sort of connection—everyone had an affinity for certain types of weaponry. Some people, like me, instantly knew what kind of weapon would suit them best, while others had to spend some time testing out a variety before finding what was perfect for them.

The spear I held in my left hand was the colour of shining silver, with a smooth shaft, which had a single small line of imprinted designs from the very tip to the very end. At the point where the shaft began to sharpen into a piercing point, four shapes similar to teardrops were placed with the rounded ends put together, two on each side almost as if they were wings. A pale blue ribbon had been wrapped and tied into a bow around the middle of where the four raindrops met. At the end, the spear curved sharply into a semi-circle, with another crescent facing it coming from the center.

The one I held in my right hand was entirely onyx. There were no designs engraved along the shaft, and the tip zigzagged like a lightning bolt. In fact, all along the shaft, bolt-like structures emitted from it on either side, some pointing upwards like the tip of the spear, while others pointed downwards to the bottom. The place where my hand was had been wrapped with white ribbon, and it was surrounded by a circle that the shaft had created by splitting into two before reuniting again a few inches later. The end of the spear took on the shape of a lightning bolt as well, and had an ebony chain attached to it.

"What do people call you?" he wondered aloud, an atrocious smirk curling along his flawless features. "Was it, 'Vengeful Angel Azumi'?"

Hearing that title made me clench my hands tighter around my spears. I glowered up at him, trying to keep the anger from seeping into my voice. But no matter how much I tried, the words came out in a hiss. "Do _not _call me that."

Masaru seemed amused with my response. "Why? That is, after all, what people call you, isn't it?"  
><em><br>Again_.

"Don't," I tried not to snarl, "mix my sister and I up."

He quirked an eyebrow up. "Oh, was that your sister's title? I'm sorry, I wasn't aware. I've always thought that you would use the sa—"

I launched myself up at him, not wanting to hear what he had to say. My lips were pressed together tightly, and I bit down harshly on my tongue. My body trembled just slightly, but it wasn't because I was frightened. Instead, I was trying hard to keep myself from doing anything completely stupid. For a second, it was almost as if everything in the world had been painted with a bright crimson of fury.

Metal clashing against metal sounded throughout the room, and my eyes narrowed as they met his entertained ones. For a moment, our weapons, which were pushed against one another, shook slightly as we tried to get the upper hand. After a moment's struggle, we both pushed one another back, our feet sliding along the concrete floor to create more space between us.

"So that's why," I muttered under my breath, eyeing the objects he held in his hand warily.

"Mm?" He stood casually, one hand stuck in the pocket of his black dress pants.

"I thought it was strange," I told him, a slight edge to my voice, "how there were so many flowers all around the household, yet there was no floral scent at all. So each and every one of those were fake, despite looking so real?"

The metal rose he had been toying with covered his mouth, but I knew he was smirking. It was evident in the tone of his velvety voice. "Do you want to find out?"

"Only if you're sure you're prepared to die." There was something about him that set me off. It wasn't the fact that his arrogance was almost strong enough to suffocate someone, or the fact that I was surprised his ego hadn't already knocked me unconscious. There was something about the way his eyes glimmered that unnerved me. I had no idea why he had such an amused look on his face, nor why he looked like he still had something up his sleeve. There was no hesitation in his steady, menacing sapphire orbs.  
>I didn't need to wait long for him to unveil his secret.<p>

"You really need to stop talking so big," he pointed out, his expression displeased. "It's not very cute. Nor does it make you look any more beautiful than what your face already looks like."

Unsure about whether or not I should be offended about what he had said—after all, had he just called me unsightly?—I felt my expression contorting into a slight scowl. "I'm not here to discuss something like beauty."

"Right," he agreed. "You're here to surrender yourself to me without giving me trouble, correct?"

"I'm tired of repeating myself," I said to him calmly. "I'm not going to do anything but kill you and then leave."

He let out a chuckle that made my skin crawl repulsively, almost like there were bugs moving underneath. His eyes, upon meeting mine, made the hair on the back of my neck stand up slightly. "You don't think that I haven't prepared for your rejection even more thoroughly?"

Before I could ask him what he meant, there was a soft mechanical sound, and he looked over his shoulder at where his throne had been resting on the platform. I followed his gaze suspiciously, taking in the way it seemed like part of the platform was opening up. My assumption had been correct as something began to emerge out of the platform in the space next to the large, extravagant chair that was suitable for a king. My eyes widened as the image registered vividly in my brain, my heart thumping harder against my chest and my grip slacking slightly on the metal of my weapons.

Unconscious, Chie sat in a chair similar to Masaru's, although not as elegant and large. Nonetheless, it held the same sort of sophistication and royalty that matched his—almost as if he was the king and she was the queen. She was dressed in her Nami Middle uniform, and she was dressed in the coat that she had been wearing yesterday when we had parted ways. Strands of her dark, glossy obsidian hair fell into her face. With her brilliant ruby eyes shuttered, it almost looked as if she hadn't been forced to be here against her will.

"What did you do to her?" I demanded from him, not able to take my eyes off of her. She was leaning to the side slightly, one forearm resting against the armrest while the other lay across her stomach. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair was a mess—I frowned, wondering if this could've been avoided if I had walked her home. I doubted it though, since I was sure that they'd have no trouble kidnapping her in the middle of the night.

"She's sleeping," he dismissed. "You didn't believe me when I said that your parents' lives were on the line." He shrugged carelessly. "That's fine—whether or not you believe it is up to you, although you'll surely regret it. I figured someone like you would only believe direct evidence, though. Why do you think it took so long for me to call you out?"

My mouth opened as I prepared to make some snappy retort, only to have it shut again because I couldn't think of one. I couldn't look away from the sleeping Chie, who almost looked as if she was resting in peace. Two men in suits and sunglasses stood on either side of her, each holding a long sword poised over her slender neck. I didn't doubt that they'd easily decapitate her without even a second's hesitation.

The words left my lips in a breath. "Damn it."

"You finally realized it?" Masaru let out a small yawn before folding his arms across his chest loosely. "The reason that girl's life is on the line is because of you. Since you got close to a mere human who can't protect herself. Because you, as a Mafioso, can't protect her due to your own duties."

"You were waiting." My narrowed eyes fell to stare at the shiny, polished leather of his dress shoes. Realization dawned on me, and I clenched my teeth together. "You wanted me to get close to someone other than the Guardians. That's why it took you so long to call me here—because you wanted a hostage."

Something that was a cross between a snort and a scoff flew from his lips. "It definitely took _you _a while to figure it out. Even though you're part of Vongola's personal assassination squad, you definitely are nothing more than a mere child."

A laugh that held no humour left me. His eyes narrowed upon hearing the sound, and I met his eyes squarely. Taking an offensive stance, I told him, "You've underestimated my way of thinking just because I'm young. In Varia, your age doesn't matter. They teach you all the same thing, no matter if you're eight or fifteen or thirty. Things like hostages are things that can't change what we're supposed to do."

"So that's all?" he inquired, chortling quietly. "You don't care even the slightest? I wonder if, even after you die, you'll remember this day? The day in which you betrayed not only your parents, but someone who has been nothing but kind to you."

"I think you've misunderstood," I said to Masaru matter-of-factly. My hands tightened on the metal weapons. "I never said that didn't care."

What did he view me as? I couldn't help but feel some sort of pain in my chest as I observed the male in front of me. It was absolutely idiotic of him to think that something like having a single hostage would make a difference in the end result. It wasn't his stupidity that got to me, though—it was the fact that he, like most people, considered the members of Varia heartless. I almost wanted to smile bitterly, because it was always the same. The chances of a different perspective on the matter was unlikely—sure, perhaps there wasn't hate, and there may or may not be respect, but did we really want to be respected for something so brutal?

"Oh?" He waited for me to continue on.

I gauged the distance between myself and the two men. "I just need to make sure she's not harmed. It's as simple as that." I threw one of the spears high up into the air, slipping my hand into the pocket of my jacket as I did so. Taking out what I needed, I barely had time to throw the small daggers at the two men near Chie before blocking an attack from Masaru.

He stared at me, part of his face blocked by the thin, delicate-looking metal petals of the false rose. All the flowers had looked so real, I never would've imagined that they'd be fake. I didn't know how he could achieve something so skeletal, so fragile, but somehow so sturdy.

Suddenly, the petals along the rose seemed to unfurl even more, their movements extremely quick. As the petals shot out fiercely from the stem, I hastily tried to jump and evade them. I hadn't reacted fast enough to get away from all of them, as a few of the sharp blades sliced along my sweats, ripping through it and breaking skin. Although my trench coat looked and felt almost exactly like a normal coat, metal had been weaved delicately into it so it wouldn't break easily. It thankfully provided some protection against the unexpected attack.

I caught the spear I had thrown up easily just as he attacked once more. My eyes darted over to where Chie was, and I almost let out a sigh of relief once I noticed the fact that my daggers had, indeed, hit their targets. The two men lay crumpled on the floor, blood pooling around them. Whether or not they were dead or just heavily injured, I couldn't make sure. My lips pressed together at the thought.

"I wonder if you can save her?" Masaru purposely pondered aloud. "Can you truly get her away from here? After all, I _am _your opponent."

"I will definitely take her back," came my response.

And then our weapons kept on clashing again and again. I wasn't even sure how long it went on for—all I knew was that I had definitely underestimated him. He was arrogant, but he had the right to be. Just like the way he thought of me, I had assumed that he was only bluffing about his strength and his skills. I had thought that there was no way someone like him—someone who seemed to care so much about outer appearances and looking good—would actually be able to walk the walk after talking the talk. I wasn't sure whether or not I was impressed that he had exceeded what I had originally thought. Admittedly, it hadn't been much, but nonetheless.

It wasn't as if he only had that one rose to work with. Throughout our fight, he had pulled out numerous flowers out, all having their own specific and special function. Although all of them seemed to be able to release their petals and have the flower grow and extend into a larger weapon, some petals moved faster than others and didn't seemed to hurt as much, while others were slower but packed a much more painful punch. Clashing with him head-on was also dangerous, since if there were any thorns or sharp leaves along the plant's stem, they would extend rapidly to cause harm. Given that, it made having a generally close-combat weapon like mine a slight disadvantage. Of course, spears could also be used as a mid-range ones, and sometimes even as a long-ranged ones, but I was most competent with close combat. It was what I was most used to and most trained in.

As my battle waged on with Masaru, I couldn't help but notice that despite the fact that his weapon was indeed lethal, it was also fairly beautiful at the same time. I had never seen something quite like it—most of the artillery were straightforward ones that _looked _dangerous and could only look remotely gorgeous when the person who handled them used them in an exceptionally skilled and graceful manner. It wasn't as if it was rare to find those people—it was just unusual to see the extraordinary ones that made you forget that what they were using was actually a weapon.

Masaru, I noted, was one of those people. To top it off, his weapon itself was stunning as well. Whereas almost all weapons differed from one another and were unique in their own way, the spectrum in which his technique laid seemed to be in a completely different world.

As we skidded away from one another, the sapphire-orbed man let out a small chuckle, a provoking look entering his face. "What's wrong, Azumi? You're slowing down a lot. Don't tell me you're already tired?"

I could hear the blood pumping fiercely through my system, my heart thumping rapidly inside my chest. "Don't joke with me." There was no way I'd lose to the likes of him.

He smirked. "Don't try to deny what reality is."

My heart gave a hard, heavy pound at his words. "What are you trying to say?" Even if I asked that, was I sure that I could trust whatever was about to leave his lips? He could very well be lying to me, and I would either risk it by believing in what he said, or taking another risk in _not _believing what he said. Things like this always made me uneasy.

Uncertainty—I hated it.

"You're lying to yourself, thinking that you're fine," he said easily, nonchalantly, as he ran his fingertips lightly along the petals of an orchid. "Surely you've noticed it as well, since it's your own body. Your movements are almost sluggish. Your breathing is so laboured, your chest feels tight, and your throat feels like it's dry and that something's stuck in it. Your head is spinning, your mind hazy, your vision blurred slightly. You're losing your balance and you feel as if weights had been attached to every fibre of your being. How much do you think you're sweating right now? It's more than just a bit disgusting. A small pond could be formed."

I opened my mouth to deny what he was saying, but before a word could leave my lips, an overwhelming amount of emotions crashed down onto me. Feelings that I hadn't even been sure existed, nor had any idea where they had come from, abruptly invaded me. Indeed, I began to feel everything he said—I was acutely aware of how my perspiration was seeping through my t-shirt that clung to me, and the way my entire body was dirty. I could feel the pain from all the cuts I had acquired when unable to dodge or block all of his attacks efficiently, and there was a painful throbbing in my head that was similar to a hammer being smashed into my brain. The room looked like it was twirling around, and I staggered, losing my stability. I slammed the sharp hook of a spear into the ground, piercing through it. Gripping tightly onto the smooth weapon, I tried to regain my steadiness without much success. My breathing was heavily laboured, my chest rising and falling painfully as I struggled to get enough air into my lungs. My stomach tumbled and wrenched together, making me feel an urge to puke.

More than just a little bit bewildered, I brought a hand up to my face, clumsily brushing away the hair that was damp and matted to my skin. What was going on? I had no idea anymore. A slight swell of panic ballooned inside of me, making my chest feel even more compressed and taut than it already was. With wide, accusing eyes, I whipped my head up to stare at the male that stood smirking in front of me.

Although he had gotten a few good hits on me, I could say that I had also landed a couple of nice blows on him as well. His suit had tears in it, revealing the cuts along his arms and torso. Blood trickled out of them, just as they fell out from mine. Even so, he didn't look nearly as exhausted as I felt. In fact, he looked almost as if this was a great amusement to him.

"So it finally hit?" The smirk that sang on his lips also tacked itself onto his tone. "Tell me, Shimizu Azumi... The moment you entered this household, you never thought that something was strange?"

"W-What..." I struggled to breathe properly. I bit down hard on my tongue, feeling the sudden sharp pain bring my mind back into focus, if only slightly. Blood welled up inside my mouth, and when I swallowed the metallic-tasting liquid, I almost choked due to the stiffness in my throat. "What are you talking about?"

"Think about it," he replied in a leisure way. "Although it might be hard to, considering the state that you're in."

What was he _talking _about? In my mind, all I could hear was gibberish and things that didn't make even the slightest sense to me. What was I supposed to notice when I entered this massive house besides the fact that it was enormous and the fact that, like, ten million people had been waiting inside? What was I supposed to think about besides keeping my guard up and looking out for any possible traps?

Frustrated at myself, my hand trembled in anger and irritation. I was never one for riddles, simply because I had never been good at them. I wasn't the kind of person who liked to go over what happened and analyze it, despite the fact that it was something that the Varia instructors had trained everyone to do. Thinking it over, realizing what the mistake was, so that it'd never be repeated again—that was the reason we did it. I had always known that it was a vital skill to have, since everyone was bound to make mistakes at one point or another even if they _were _in Varia, but I had never been amazing at such a thing.

Because making mistakes was something I couldn't afford.

As I continued to glower at Masaru, wracking my brain as I tried desperately to push away all the other feelings that washed over me, my eyes zoomed in on the baby's breath that was sticking into the breast pocket of his tattered suit.

And then it hit me.

"There was no scent," I breathed out raggedly, the slight awe of finally realizing it intertwining with my voice. "Ever since I entered this house, there has been no scent at all—it's not just the fact that the flowers didn't have one. This place... doesn't smell at all."

"That's right," he confirmed, brushing off some dirt on his suit offhandedly. "You know, I'm not just someone who uses fake plants to fight. I'm also knowledgeable when it comes to real flowers and trees, too. What do you think—"

"Poison," I spat out hatefully, my lips thinning as I thought about it. I had never been fond of abilities that weren't direct. It wasn't as if I felt like they were incompetent compared to using normal weapons in combat, but simply because many of them were hard to detect and sniff out. Like with Masaru's poision, which I hadn't even suspected at all. Shamal, whom I had met quite a few times and respected greatly, also had a unique sort of ability that I found amazing, yet irritable.

He chuckled lightly. "One that takes away your sense of smell. It's causing the headache that you're experiencing as well as the tightness in your chest and throat right now. It's a sign that the poison is in your system and going to start soon."

"Start soon?" I echoed incredulously, staring at him. "What are you saying?"

"Most people last four days," he told me with a charming smile that was laced with sadistic desires underneath. "Although if it's you, I wouldn't be surprised if you somehow manage to hold out for the entire week."

I felt like a broken record. "A week?"

The dark-haired Mafioso explained, "Seven days from today. Usually, people experience all stages of the poison within three days. However, on the rare occasion that the victim doesn't, there aren't any symptoms except marks until the fourth day, which will be dizziness and weakness. By the fifth day, the poison will cause stiffness and pain in your joints and bones. It'll be a mild pain, but everything in your system will be ten times more delicate than usual, so even just stubbing your toe against something will feel like something was hammered into it. The marks continue spreading until they cover your entire body—but it's alright. They're good marks. It's a sign that you're sure to die soon, and that your body is unable to take the poison."

How could he say something like that so casually? I wanted to make some sort of comment, but I couldn't find it in me to do so. Although I knew I shouldn't have any right to complain, since I had also been saying things like that to him without much care.

"And by the sixth day, you'll be screaming in pain." His voice held a much too jovial tone for me to think that he had even the slightest bit of remorse for doing such a thing, although I hadn't really expected it anyways. "And at the beginning of the seventh day, you should be dead, if you haven't already died."

"Is that it?" I struggled to get it out of my throat. "That's pathetic. In seven days' time, I'll definitely have figured out the antidote." I was lying straight through my teeth. There was absolutely no way that I could figure out how to get the poison out of my system. I doubted that I could simply get it out of my blood that easily, especially since it was _Masaru_. It was impossible for him to look so haughty about it when it could be taken out so easily.

"Sorry to say, but that's impossible." He didn't even try to sound sympathetic. "I'm an expert when it comes to making poison. There's nobody else in the world that will be able to make a remedy for you except me."

"Don't sound so confident," I muttered, rapidly blinking my eyes to try to keep everything focused.

Something that was a cross between a snort and a scoff escaped him. "This is coming from a girl who's almost dead on her feet? I don't think you quite caught on to what I was saying—I said that the poison that had been in the house when you arrived is what's causing your headache as well as chest and throat rigidity. I never said it's causing your laboured breathing or the sweat or the tiredness you're feeling."

"What are you implying?" Despite asking the question, I had a feeling deep in my gut that I already knew. It was a wave of dread, slowing getting bigger and bigger. I wanted to run away from it, but even if I _was _able to walk, I doubted I would be able to flee from it.

"You don't think I'm as simple as to just attack you with blades that look like flower petals, do you?" His lips were curled up into a large, smug smirk that made me want to punch him until his teeth were knocked out. "Of course they had poison on them as well."

"I—"

He interrupted me. "What time do you think it is?"

My eyebrows knitted together, and I guessed, "Six-thirty?" I had come to the house when it was five in the morning, and I was sure that it was definitely impossible for me to have been here longer than two hours. The fact that he was asking me this, however, made me feel undeniably perturbed.

"Are you sure?" he quirked an eyebrow, his expression one of calm coolness. "You're like that because you're fatigued. You're completely exhausted—to be quite honest, I'm somewhat surprised that you're still conscious. You say that it's six-thirty? You're wrong. It's ten." My eyes widened, but they nearly popped out of their sockets as he continued, "Ten PM."

"I-I don't—"

Seeing the confused look on my face, he elaborated for me once again. "It's a poison that distorts your sense of time. You felt like our fight only lasted an hour at most, correct? That's not true. Rather, we've been going at this for hours. To be frank with you, I'm getting very tired of it. This is why your body is on the stage of collapsing—especially since you hadn't been getting much sleep lately due to your futile efforts of sniffing me out."

"It... Warps my sense of time?" I stared at him in a way that almost seemed uncomprehending. I understood what he had just said, but at the same time, I felt like I just couldn't _register _it.

"That's right," he replied. "Even though you thought only minutes had passed, in reality, it had been hours."

Shaking my head slightly, I tried to ignore how my head groaned and thumped in protest. "That can't be right. It's almost like saying that a dome in which time slowed down was surrounding us while the rest of the world continued on like always and now that the dome's gone, we've been brought back to the normal time, our bodies also adjusting to that. It's not—that's not something that poison should be capable of."

"That's because that's not what happened," he retorted, sounding impatient. It was clear that he didn't want to keep on explaining it to me anymore. "It's similar, though. It's too much of a hassle to continue to explain this to you. It won't matter anyway, since you're going to die soon."

"Why don't you finish me off right now?" I questioned him bitterly, already having a vague idea of the answer. "Now that you've had me poisoned and in such a pathetic state, finishing me off should be easy."

The smile was in his voice. "Where's the fun in that? I'll enjoy watching you suffer. Even when you're crying and begging for me to relieve you of it, I won't."

Somehow, I managed the breath of a laugh. Somehow, this was such a funny position. To think that I, Shimizu Azumi, a part of Vongola's elite squad of assassins, was barely able to stand... I couldn't even remember the last time I had been in such a weak and pitiful state. Then again, I had always had someone with me, whether it be Squalo, Kazuki, Lussuria, or even Levi.

If she were here, she would've found this absolutely disgraceful. I would get such a bad scolding, I'd probably pass out from it. My lips pressed together even more.

My body trembled as it tried to stay upright. I felt like my knees were going to give out any minute now. "So what do you intend to do now?"

His head tilted to the side slightly. "I was planning to leave you down here, but perhaps that's a bit too cruel, although you deserve nothing more than a place like this. I'm feeling quite generous, actually. If you come with me quietly, I'll let you—" he broke his sentence off, his eyes narrowing slightly before a twisted grin appeared on his face.

"Why do you look like that?" I demanded, eyeing him warily. The way he had abruptly stopped his sentence in the middle was strange and it didn't seem like something he'd do. I had a feeling that he talked so much simply because he loved to hear himself speak.

Sliding his eyes to meet mine, his grin only seemed to stretch wider. "It appears that your friends have found this place. I'm quite impressed. I hadn't expected them to trace you to my own secret base in such a short amount of time."

My eyes widened upon hearing that. Tsuna and them? They were here, rushing into an enemy base just because they thought I was here? I wasn't sure whether I should be grateful that they cared enough to come looking for me, or to be exasperated at how they had just charged into an enemy base like it was nothing.

Throbbing painfully in my chest, my heart seemed to warm at the thought that they had come to rescue me. I didn't view myself as a damsel in distress that often needed to be rescued, but I had to admit, I was in a pinch. I was grateful that they had come, except for one fact.

The poison. The one that would kill them. Masaru had said that it had happened the moment I had entered the house. If this was true, then that meant Tsuna and the rest of the Guardians would have the same sort of substance entering their system. It was something that put all their lives in such grave danger.

"Don't worry." Masaru seemed to know what I was thinking, and his eyes glinted. "I had stopped leaking the poison into the house hours ago. They won't have the same problems that you will. I suppose this is when I shall take my leave. Although I'm sure that fighting everyone at the same time will be fun, I don't intend to meet the famous Vongola's tenth generation Boss in such ratty attire." He brushed some debris off his shoulder, straightening out his tie and his blazer.

"You're retreating?" I narrowed my eyes at him in a scrutinizing manner. "You're just going to escape?"

"Did you not hear a word I said?" he huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Don't worry though. This definitely won't be the last time you hear from me. Although... Maybe it is. Since you won't survive the poison, anyway." He let out a laugh of amusement, and rapid footsteps could be heard descending from the stairs. Glancing at it, he began to make his way back to his throne. I had been expecting him to do something to Chie, who was still unconsciously sitting in the queen-like chair, but he passed by her without even a second glance.

He flopped down onto his chair, which then began to descend back into the platform it had been resting on, just like how Chie's had emerged from it. I tried to make a move and prevent him from going, but he blocked it easily, a triumph smirk on his face. With ease, I got knocked back.

I slammed the sharp hook into the floor again, irritated and livid at how he slipped away from my very eyes. It was so incredibly vexing, and not to mention it had been more than just a slight blow to my pride. I didn't even want to think about what Squalo would've said if he had seen this shameful excuse of a fight.

The things in front of me began to blur, and the last bit of my strength began to slip away. I wasn't even sure how I had managed to move to try and hit Masaru—now, it felt like even keeping my eyelids open was like asking me to swim across the Atlantic Ocean. With my body quaking in a futile effort to keep itself upright, I struggled to stay conscious.

Something about this bothered me, and I had to think about what it was. Yet, thinking seemed so difficult—all I wanted to do was sleep.

"Azumi!" voices chorused.

"You idiotic woman, what—"

"Hey," I managed to interrupt whatever Gokudera was saying, their words barely processing in my brain. Even though I looked over at them standing at the large double doors in which I had entered from earlier that day, I could only see blurred and unclear images. I swayed unsteadily even though I had been gripping onto my spear, and I felt like throwing up. My eyes began to flutter closed—I couldn't find enough strength in me to keep them open anymore.

"O-Oi, Azumi! What's wrong? Are you—"

And that was when both my body and my mind just shut down.

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><p><strong>AN: **

And that concludes the tenth ( and super long ) chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it! This chapter definitely showed a new side to Azumi, and I wonder how you guys feel about that. It's pretty different from how she usually is, isn't it? =P

I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes or grammar errors. I was going to apologize for OOCness when I realized this chapter hardly had any of the actual KHR characters in it. HAHAHAhaha...? No one laughing? Okay. D;

LOTS OF LOVE AND THANKS TO;

**VongolaXII, 10th Squad 3rd Seat, Nomurai, Lady Syndra, Yukari-chan s2, Smirk 'N' Sweat Drop, MidoriPoet, DarkThunderEX, Youknowwhothisis, Juliedoo, sky of c-o-l-o-r-s, and AwsumOtaku99**

Thank you guys so much for your encouraging reviews! They mean a lot to me and helped me write up this chapter before July, which is when I actually get off school!

Also, thanks a lot to everyone who favourited and alerted as well! (:

RESPONSE TIME! (:

To **VongolaXII**;

Ahh, yes. I watched that anime and loved it, though I haven't caught up with the manga yet. -sighs- It's on my list! And thank you for reading and your support; I hope you enjoyed this chapter! In all honesty, that man was nobody special. LOL. Once again, thank you for reading! (:

To **Nomurai**;

Oh yes. Azumi's hidden past. (; I drop hints every now and then, but I think they're too subtle for anyone to notice. xD They DO have weird schedules, but there's a reason for that. -grins- You should be sleeping at 2:30 AM! Though I can't say anything either, since I sleep at 3 or 4 on school nights. OTL. Rather than thanking me for posting, I should be thanking YOU for reading, so thank you so much! I'm glad that my writing and the fact that I updated made you feel somewhat better. (: I hope you enjoyed this update as well, and once again, thank you! ;D

To **Smirk 'N' Sweat Drop**;

That's what cliffies are all about, bro; making your readers want more. LOL. Though I wouldn't exactly call that chapter a cliffie, but ANYWAYS. Something big DID happen in this chapter! ;O Though there's more than I let on. PREVIEWS? No way. That ruins everything! LOL. Nono, I should be thanking you for always supporting me. Trust me, it means a lot. So thank you again. (: I hope that I satisfied your curiosity, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! (:

To** DarkThunderEX**;

Why thank you! I'm glad you think they're awesome. Anddd. I don't really know. I don't have a set update-time like some authors do, where they say they'll update once every week or once every month or whatever. It's because I have a really weird schedule and I don't like forcing myself to write, because you can just TELL that it's forced. I wait until I have an URGE to write, and that's when I do. So, I don't know. I'm HOPING that I can get something up every month? But yeah. No promises. OTL. Sorry! Thank you so much for reading and your support, I hope you liked this new chapter! =P

To **Juliedoo**;

I'm glad that you really like this fanfic! HAHA. And I'm sorry, I laughed when I got to the "WHOA" part because I love how it sounded in the sentence. =P I'm glad that you love Azumi and don't consider her a Mary-Sue! In all honesty, I agree with what you said. I don't really know why people label nice OCs as Mary-Sues, but then again, I thought that maybe I was being biased about it. Glad to know I'm not alone. -grins- Thank you so much for your amazing review and your support! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the previous ones! (:

And... that's about it! (:

Once again, thank you guys _so_ much for your amazing reviews and your support. It really _is_what keeps this story going and it gives me a lot of encouragement to improve my writing and create even more amazing chapters for you guys to read.

So yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope that I'll continue to hear from you guys. It makes me day. (:

If you guys have the time, tell me what you think about this chapter! Love it? Like it? Hate it? I'd love to know! Leave me a review or send me a PM on your thoughts! I swear I don't bite. HAHA.

I hope that I'll be able to update soon!

And to all of you who have exams just like I do? GOOD LUCKKK! (:

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	11. Touching Dark Territory

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! All rights go to Amano Akira.**

**A/N:**

HOW ARE YOU GUYS? I know, I know, It's been a bit over a month since my last update. I'm really sorry! Even though summer break has started, I've been busy with a ton of volunteering that takes place every day and I'm trying to take some courses online through the summer, so... x.x" Even though my summer is busy with things that most people would consider a pain in the ass, I hope that yours are better! (:

There really isn't much to say except for the fact that this chapter talks about something that might be relevant in later chapters. Although, really, most things are important anyways, but SNVOEWNOQVE. You know what I mean, right? xD

I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter! (:

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><p><strong>CHAPTER ELEVEN;<strong>

_"Touching Dark Territory"_

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><p>When I came back to consciousness, the first thing I noticed was that I was in a comfortable bed and no longer in that strange underground room. The next thing I became aware of was that, looking out the window, the sky had a myriad of vibrantly warm colours streaking through it. I let my eyes fall shut again, trying to gather my thoughts properly.<p>

"Azumi? Are you awake?"

My eyes opened again at the sound of a gently sweet, concerned voice. Blinking to clear and focus the images that were before me, I turned my head slightly to meet Tsuna's wide chocolate eyes. "Tsuna..."

Letting out a loud exhale of relief, he collapsed back into a more comfortable position on the floor next to his bed. He tilted his head up to the ceiling, shutting his eyes. "Thank god you're okay."

"What time is it?" I murmured softly, still slightly disorientated. I tried to remember what had happened before I had blacked out, but all I really recollected was seeing Masaru slip away and hearing them call my name. Everything else was just black. I didn't even recall any feelings of hitting the floor, nor did I feel it when they had moved me back to Tsuna's house.

"It's nine PM," Tsuna informed me, shaking his head.

"Nine PM?" I repeated, sounding confused. During my battle with Masaru, I remembered quite clearly through my hazed mind that he had told me it was ten at night.

"You slept for a whole day," Tsuna told me. Moving closer again, he looked at me solemnly. "Are you okay, Azumi? Does it hurt anywhere? Do you need me to get anything for you?"

A slightly breathless laugh escaped me, my throat feeling parched. "A glass of water would be nice, if it's not too much trouble."

Nodding his head in understanding, Tsuna began to stand up. "I'll go get it for you. Yamamoto and Gokudera are staying over tonight, and they're downstairs playing with I-Pin and Lambo. I'll go get them—I'm sure they'll want to know that you're alright. Do you want me to get you something to eat, too?"

"Yes please." I watched as he nodded his head and then, after reassuring me he'd be back in a bit, turned around and headed toward the door. He glanced over his shoulder at me as he reached the doorframe, his lips still pulled downwards in concern and his eyes showing both relief and graveness. It wasn't a particularly long look, and my eyes were trained on his figure until he disappeared to descend down the staircase.

Grimacing slightly, I pulled myself up swiftly into a sitting position. I propped the pillow onto its side and behind my back, so that when I leaned against the wall, it provided protection from the coolness. My body ached and was sore, but something that I noticed immediately was the fact that all my wounds had been properly bandaged up and, I assumed, cleaned. There was pain every time I moved, but it surely wasn't as bad as what I had initially thought back then during my talk with Masaru.

I had been bathed from someone, since I was wearing my matching pajamas and I _felt _pristine. My hair wasn't all tangled and there were no smears of dirt on my skin. Naturally, I assumed that it was Nana who had done it for me, but the thought made me freeze up. It wasn't as if I wasn't comfortable about it, since Nana was almost like a second mother, but it made me scared to think about what she had thought when she saw me like that. It was something that nobody really knew about—nobody that wasn't involved in the mafia world, at the very least.

The thought made my blood run cold.

Before I could brood any longer on the subject, thunderous steps stomping up the stairs reached my ears. Somehow, I wasn't surprised when Gokudera strode into the room with a vein bulging near his temple. Yamamoto looked calmer, but there was still a certain sternness in his expression that had me frowning deeper. Nonetheless, his lips still held a mild upward tilt.

"You _idiot_!" Gokudera exploded, not giving me a chance to speak. He folded his arms across his chest rigidly, his eyes flaring. His hands were clenched into white fists, and his entire body was tense. "What were you thinking, going off on your own like that? Do you have _any _idea how much time we wasted searching for you? All that trouble we went through? And the Tenth was so worried about you, he began to feel unwell! He had to waste his time looking after you when someone as great as him had other things to do!"

"Now, now, Gokudera," Yamamoto chided lightly, placing a hand on the shorter male's shoulder. "The important thing right now is that Azumi is alright. How are you feeling?" His light coffee eyes turned to meet mine as he addressed me.

"Fine," I answered vaguely, keeping the poison situation from them. After all, they had already been so concerned. There was no need to tell them something that I knew I was fine figuring out myself. Even if I explained it to them, there was no way that they would be able to help—they hadn't studied anything about poison. In Varia though, they had taught me significant things about it. "Sorry about worrying you guys."

"Don't apologize," Yamamoto chuckled faintly. "It's a relief to know that you're okay."

"What, do you think apologizing will change what happened?" Gokudera demanded from me angrily. His pale olive eyes were glinting dangerously as they met my dark cerulean ones. In an angry, almost hateful way, they narrowed into slits. "I don't understand the way your mind works. How could you go and do all those things on your own without even saying a word to any of us? What part of this is the role of a spectator?"

At first, I wasn't sure of why the silver-haired dynamite user was so angry. Yes, I knew that he generally had an easily irritable nature and that he was short-tempered, but I had never experienced that fire ignited so ferociously in his eyes until now. Something about the emotion that his eyes held made me feel restless and want cringe back away from him. It was something so harsh, so raw, so passionate, that I knew I had done something more than just upset him in the same way I, or others, usually did. It was something deeper than that.

"I can't believe you went and did such _stupid_ and dangerous things on your own," he hissed out. "At that time we all knew that something was up, but we never expected something like _this_," he scoffed. "Did you think that we'd all get in your way? Don't think so highly of yourself! I'm the Tenth's right-hand man. There's no way that I'd lose to someone like _you_. If you had just shared your information with us and had us go along with you, this sort of pathetic situation wouldn't have happened."

The more he spoke though, the clearer it became. Indeed, he was hurt on a much deeper level than having being called Stupid-Dera by Lambo, or by having me come back to the classroom late at lunch. Hearing him rant and scold me, there was something nearly unbelievable threaded into his raw, slightly scratchy voice. It sounded like something so similar to hurt that for a moment, I was floored.

However, if I had been Gokudera, how would I feel if one of my friends, after having established that we were going to figure everything out together, went off and did things on their own that caused trouble for everyone else? What if that person had, even after reassuring me that they were okay, ended up beaten and battered? If that person had danced to their own rhythm without saying anything even after spouting all these words and phrases about how everyone had to stick together? I would probably be livid. And hurt—very, very hurt. After all, it was almost as if there was a breach of trust. Had the person not told me because they simply didn't trust me?

Undoubtedly, the thought, "Aren't we supposed to be a team?" would flash through my mind countless of times.

Was that how Gokudera felt?

I stared with solemn eyes at the fair-skinned, silver-haired Storm Guardian that continued speaking about how stupid it was, and how he was willing to fight me if it meant he'd prove he was stronger than what I apparently thought. It was almost funny, because he had no idea how highly I truly regarded the Guardians, and he was no exception to that immense respect. It wasn't as if I didn't tell anyone because I felt they were unskilled and wouldn't be of help.

"I think that Azumi understands what you're trying to say, Gokudera," Yamamoto's lips were pulled up a fraction, but it differed from his usual brightness and warmth. "Take a deep breath and try to calm down. It'll make you feel better."

"You stupid baseball freak!" Gokudera switched his attention temporarily to the Guardian of the Rain. "I don't need to take a deep breath and _calm down_. This isn't something to be calm about! _I'm_ not the one who needs to feel better at all!" He whirled to me again. "_You_, you moronic woman, need to stop causing so much trouble for everyone! Especially the Tenth!"

There was really nothing I could say to him, because a lot of what he said was true. I _was _causing a lot of trouble for the Tsuna and his Family—it was only because I was here that they had taken Chie hostage and called me out. And yet, I wondered about what would've went differently if I hadn't been stationed in Namimori. Would they have targeted Lambo and Hibari with their full forces, like we had originally thought? Or would they have called out the Guardians one by one by using methods similar to what they had done to me?

My voice was quiet, but the moment I spoke, the room fell silent. "I'm really sorry, Gokudera, Yamamoto. I _did _cause you guys all a lot of problems, even if I never intended to. But... I didn't do everything on my own because I don't trust you guys or feel like you'll just get in the way."

Instead of Gokudera's gruff voice, Yamamoto's kind, yet slightly edged melody fluttered through the room. "Then why didn't you say anything? We wanted to help, Azumi. This isn't a problem that involves just you, right? It consists of us, too. That's why it's okay if you talk to us about things that are happening instead of trying to tackle everything yourself."

"But that's the thing," I murmured, letting my eyes fall onto my clasped hands that rested on the thick blanket covering my lap. "I didn't think that it was a big deal—that's why I went on my own. I had thought that they were just regular Mafioso, and if they had been, I would've gotten out completely fine. I never expected that he'd be different—that there was someone like him trying to take hold of the Rings. I've been in Vongola my entire life, and it's rare that powerful organizations stand up against the Vongola, because they know that somehow, Vongola will triumph in the end. They're more sensible than the smaller, but more rebellious associations in the mafia world, which is why I had assumed that this time was no different."

"That doesn't matter!" Gokudera objected loudly, scowling at me. "It doesn't matter if you think you can handle it yourself, because clearly, even though you're part of Varia, you _can't_."

"You wouldn't have fared so well against him yourself, Gokudera." Our heads whipped around to see who had spoken, though the baby-like tone had already told us. Reborn sat criss-crossed on Tsuna's shoulder, his black eyes revealing nothing about what he thought about the situation. His lips pulled down into a small frown. "You're finally up, Azumi."

I didn't know what to expect from the Arcobaleno, but I surely didn't want to hear any scolding. I knew that it was nearly impossible that he'd remain tranquil on the subject, though. And although I didn't want to get yelled at, I was prepared to accept whatever punishment that he had for me. I wondered if I would feel better if he got angry—maybe the guilt that was gnawing away at me would disappear.

"I brought you the dinner Mom wrapped up for you," Tsuna said softly, his smile slight.

"Thank y—" My sentence was interrupted as the little infant flew off of Tsuna's shoulder, sending a kick straight to my stomach. I gasped, the pain flaring. My eyes shut, but I wasn't sure whether it was due to the pain or if it was to hide the tears that threatened to fall.

Yes, the blow from Reborn hurt. And yet before he had kicked me, his eyes met mine. I felt like he had seen through me completely—was this him giving me an excuse? Was this his kindness? I didn't know, but I was grateful. It felt like he was giving me a warning as he brought me back to the surface, away from all the thoughts that I tried to bury deep down.

My hands unclasped themselves to fist into the blanket, and I squeezed my eyes shut even tighter, trying to ignore the pain from the hit and the throbbing in my heart. My eyes felt like they were being pricked in the back with needles, my throat closing up slightly. But I knew that this wasn't the time to pity myself—that this wasn't the time to feel like how I did. It was so horrible of me, and yet... I knew that when everyone was asleep, I'd still be awake, thinking of things I shouldn't be.

"R-Reborn!" Tsuna exclaimed frantically. "What are you doing? She's hurt!"

"Azumi doesn't need you to speak for her," Reborn retaliated. "It wasn't that hard of a kick. Azumi, we have important matters to discuss."

"_Reborn!_" Tsuna protested, and as my eyes opened, they took in the way he was standing next to the bed, holding a tray of homemade dinner. "Let her rest for a while longer. We can ask her when she's recovered!"

That wasn't right—I needed to forget, even if it was only temporarily.

My lips curled up slightly. "It's okay, Tsuna. Thanks for bringing me this." I reached my hands up, taking hold of the tray. He reluctantly let me, his hands hovering around in order to ensure I didn't drop anything. I placed the tray in my lap, my eyes darting from the bowl of warmed soup to the bowl of fried rice that was there. A small plate near the corner held some takoyaki, and there was a tall glass of water. Even though everything looked completely amazing, my eyes lingered on the takoyaki a bit longer than the rest, a pang hitting me in the chest. Had Nana made that specifically for me, thinking it'd make me feel better?

"We need to hear this," Gokudera said seriously, still eyeing me distastefully. However, something in his eyes had changed. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but it was different. He didn't seem as loathsome and enraged as he did earlier. "The earlier and the more we know, the better. We need to understand the situation, Tenth."

"But Azumi—"

"It's fine, Tsuna," I intervened gently, tugging on the sleeve of his shirt lightly. He looked down at me, his light walnut eyes shining with unease. I shook my head at him, offering him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. What Gokudera said was the absolute truth—there was no way Masaru would just give up that easily. For all we knew, everyone was still in immediate and serious danger. When he'd strike was something unknown to everyone, which was both unnerving and distressing.

"Stop whining, No-Good Tsuna," Reborn reprimanded, but it lacked its usual twinge of lightness. The tuxedo-clad infant settled himself on Yamamoto's shoulder after having left the edge of the bed he had been standing on. His eyes almost felt like they burned as he regarded me. "Tell us what happened. Don't leave anything out."

"I won't," I reassured him quietly. _Except for the poison thing_. Shaking off that thought, I recited to them what had happened from the very beginning. I told them about when I had started feeling an extra pair of eyes watching me and following me wherever I went, and about the bad feelings I had been experiencing. I gave as much detail as I could about Masaru without raising any suspicions about my own predicament.

Even though Gokudera had gotten so angry at me for not saying anything and telling him the truth earlier, I still couldn't bring myself to say it aloud. Remembering Yamamoto's kind eyes and the way his expression was when he looked at me, telling me I didn't have to carry the sky on my shoulders... It made me feel so horrible about keeping it a secret, but whenever I tried to say something about it, my tongue would freeze up.

The words just wouldn't leave my lips.

Was I afraid again?

Just thinking about it made my heart thump harder, more painfully inside my ribcage. It was such a horrible thing—to think that it had never changed even though it had been years. Even though I knew it was so pathetic, so absolutely stupid of me, there was no difference in the way I felt. It was just like _that_—like _those _things.

The fright that I felt shook me to the very core.

After I ended narrating my story from the beginning until the end, a brief moment of silence reigned over everyone. On all their faces was a grim expression, their eyebrows furrowed slightly together and their lips not holding their usual smiles or their usual gentleness. Their eyes were no longer smoldering liquid, but hardened jewels that looked beautiful, yet also scary.

"So that's what happened," Yamamoto murmured. He tried to smile, but even though his lips heaved upwards, his eyes conveyed a different sort of look. "You really are pretty cool."

"You idiot," Gokudera mumbled, running a hand through his silver locks in agitation. "This isn't the time to be spouting out compliments like that, baseball freak. This guy is dangerous."

"Have you ever heard of him, Reborn?" Tsuna asked, a tint of urgency and hopefulness in his tone.

The most trusted hitman of Vongola the Ninth was silent for a moment, his expression holding one of serious contemplation. He had his arms crossed in front of his small chest, the rim of his fedora blocking the light as well as his eyes. A shadow was cast along his face—and it was definitely something that I didn't like.

After another moment of silence in which no response emitted from the Arcobaleno, Tsuna tried again. "Reborn?"

Not even flicking Tsuna a glance, Reborn ordered, "Shut up, No-Good Tsuna. Can't you see I'm thinking?"

"S-Sorry!" Tsuna instantly apologized. He kept his gaze fixed on his home tutor, something like admiration and belief in his eyes. It was a gentleness that I had seen him look at many of his comrades with—Yamamoto, Gokudera, Ryohei, and even Lambo. Yet, even though such emotions swirled in his eyes, there was always something to counter the positives.

I murmured, "I've never heard of someone that goes by that name before, but then again, I don't know as much as Reborn does. I had never heard of such an ability before either. Is such a thing really even possible?"

"It _sounds _impossible," Gokudera muttered, his gaze intense. "With what you just told us though, it's clear that it's not as unattainable as we had originally thought."

"Isn't it possible that it's an illusion?" Tsuna offered hesitantly.

I froze up at the word, my heart almost stopping for a second before it restarted again faster, harder. My hands curled up into tighter fists, and my throat felt like it was closed so firmly that no air could get past, even though I knew that the sensation was exaggerated. The feelings that invaded me were so strong, I felt like I was going to drown in them.

"Azumi, you okay?" Yamamoto asked casually, a serious note to his usually light voice. His bright eyes held concern in them, and he raised both his eyebrows questioningly at me. The slight slant of his lips didn't tell me he was happy that I looked upset, but it was more of a reassuring kind of smile that had me instinctively trying to mirror it.

"You look paler," Tsuna commented, his eyebrows furrowing together a bit. "Are you feeling sick still?"

Shaking my head, I swallowed down the lump that had appeared in my throat. I tried to sound convincing as I said, "No, I'm fine. Really." I picked up the chopsticks that had been resting on the tray, preparing to eat the meal that Tsuna had brought up for me before it got cold. But I knew that I was just being a coward, since I didn't want to meet their prying, questioning gazes.

"What's wrong with you _now_, you idiotic woman?" Gokudera inquired, exasperation lacing his tone of voice.

"Azumi's horrible with illusions," Reborn announced to them all. Their scorching gazes left my figure temporarily to stare at the infant. While he continued speaking, I tried to swallow down the food that I put in my mouth, but couldn't really taste. "I've no doubt that if Fuuta were to rank all the Mafioso in the world about how they'd fare against illusions, Azumi would be number one as the person who'd lose without a doubt."

"Azumi would?" Tsuna sounded somewhat surprised, and also somewhat confused as well. He must've turned to look at me, and following the Vongola successor's eyes, so did Yamamoto and Gokudera.

Their eyes were so pressuring, I felt like choking on the rice that I tried to eat.

"You're not good with illusions?" Yamamoto's question was so innocent, but I felt like he had delivered a blow to my stomach.

"Not at all," I managed to admit. I didn't raise my eyes off from the food that I stared intently at, almost as if the most fascinating thing was imprinted on the rice and the side dishes. I wondered why, why, _why _Tsuna had to bring up such a thing. It was one of the things that I hated discussing about the most.

The Storm Guardian didn't seem very satisfied with my answer. "That's pathetic. How can someone who's so bad at handling illusions be part of Varia? You'll get roasted, and if what happened back there really _was _the work of an illusionist, then you're not going to be of any help at all!"

"I don't think it was an illusion," I responded hesitantly, not sure of how the jade-eyed male would respond. Gokudera had done a lot of yelling today, and I really didn't want to get another earful, even if I knew I deserved it. There was really only so much that I could take before I knew I'd break from it.

"And what makes you think that?" Gokudera asked, his roughly smooth tone sharpened with frustration. "Apparently, you're horrible with illusions—we can't trust what you say about it. For all you know, you didn't even hear the name correctly, and you didn't see the right face, either!"

His words stung, even though I knew that he was just being honest and factual. I really _didn't _know if I had been fooled or not. All I had was my gut instinct, but what kind of evidence was that? Yes, intuition mattered a lot, but I didn't have anything solid to prove that what I had seen was real. With the way they put it, I was beginning to wonder if I was wrong about it after all.

Gokudera was only pointing out the hard, real facts. I couldn't deny what he was saying, since he had a very valid point. But the very thought of having been in an illusion had me scowling already, the slight tremble of my hands not going unnoticed by the infant's eyes.

I wanted this subject to end already.

Saving me whether he intended to or not, the Arcobaleno voiced, "I agree with Azumi."

"Reborn-san?" Gokudera sounded more than just surprised. He paused for a moment, and I didn't need to look up from the food that I continued to stick mindlessly into my mouth to know he had opened and closed his mouth once before saying, "You're agreeing with what she says?"

"What's wrong with that?" Reborn returned.

"You said it yourself," Gokudera reminded the tutor, though everyone knew that Reborn always knew what he had said. "How can you trust her about it if it's something she's bad at? It's like giving the stupid cow one of our math homework questions and trusting that his answer's correct!"

Reborn's tone was matter-of-fact. "It's true that Azumi is more than just a bit useless when it comes to illusions." I frowned slightly at the sentence. I mean, it was completely true, but he could've phrased it a bit better. Continuing on, he said, "But that doesn't mean she can't tell the difference between an illusion and reality. She's good at that."

Confused, Tsuna said something that was bound to be on everyone's minds. "But you just said that Azumi isn't good with illusions..."

"She's not," Reborn confirmed. There was a slight upward light of his lips. "Azumi has the 'ability' to know when she's in an illusion or not. The fact that she's bad when _in_ an illusion is different than being bad at knowing _when _she's in it. Stupid, No-Good Tsuna. You need to understand the meaning of things better. I'll have to beat it into you later."

"I don't really get it," Yamamoto honestly confessed.

"Of course you don't, baseball freak." There was no surprise in Gokudera's voice. "Reborn-san's saying that while Azumi isn't useful while _in _an illusion, that doesn't mean she can't tell the difference between reality and something made up."

Since I had just been stuffing my mouth with the food, chewing, and then swallowing without really paying attention to the taste, I finished the meal rather quickly. Even though I knew Reborn was definitely aware of how uncomfortable this subject made me, I also knew he wouldn't simply just stop it to fit my desire.

I wanted to sigh. Perhaps it was better that they found out about this now rather than later on, when we were all stuck in an illusion and they thought I had some super amazing plan to get them out, only to find out that I couldn't. The mere idea of being stuck in an illusion had my blood running a bit colder than usual. If Reborn hadn't told them about it now, I doubted that I would have managed to gather enough guts in me to confess it so straightforwardly. The uneasiness and the fear would have me chickening out of it before I even got the first word out.

"If that' so..." Tsuna trailed off, switching his eyes to me. "Then we should trust Azumi on this. After all, I'm sure that Azumi knows what she's talking about."

The faith that the spiky-haired brunette had in the people around him was amazing. It wasn't exactly a lie that I was able to realize when I was no longer in reality and instead placed into a false one, but he didn't even know that for sure. He just trusted what he heard from Reborn, and while I understood that they shared a very deep bond with one another, I couldn't help but wonder how he trusted me so much even though I hadn't been honest with him for the past few years.

Tsuna was much too innocent. He was soft, gentle, and kind. It wasn't as if the mafia world didn't have such people, because it did. The Ninth shared similar qualities as well, but there was something just _different_ about Tsuna. Growing up learning about how to kill someone with a paper clip, the mindset that I established was different from his. And from the perspective of someone like me, the way Tsuna thought was more than just a little bit naive. But I felt like it was _because _his thoughts were so innocent and chaste that people found a sanctuary in him that they felt they wouldn't find anywhere else.

It was rare to find someone like Tsuna in the mafia world, and I was beginning to understand that it wasn't just Tsuna, but his Guardians as well.

"Tenth?" Gokudera's voice was laced with incredulity.

"We can't just say she's completely wrong," Yamamoto smiled up at the standing dynamite-user. "Have some faith, Gokudera."

The male shook his head, folding his arms across his chest. His expression was contorted into a scowl. "You guys trust what other people say too easily." And then in a quieter voice, he mumbled, "But that's definitely what's special about you, Tenth…"

My voice was hushed. "But Gokudera's right..."

"Azumi?" My name came from Tsuna's lips softly.

I kept my eyes trained on the empty bowl and plates of food placed on the tray in front of me. "Maybe... Maybe I really _was_deceived..." Gokudera certainly wasn't the first and only person to question my judgment in battle. Many people in Varia, as well, always wondered whether or not the information I gave them was correct due to my inability to withstand illusions. Only a few people had always believed me, and for that I was so grateful to them, just like how I felt towards Tsuna and Yamamoto for believing me.

Yet, no matter how many times I got doubted for it, it still hurt a bit to think that I'd never gain the same sort of trust and respect that Squalo had, or Kazuki, or Suzu. I couldn't live up to my parents or my siblings. When Squalo had been my age, he was already known worldwide for his amazing swordsmanship and had people fearing him. Nobody had doubted his ability when it came to battle, and it wasn't as if he was loved by everyone, but he was never belittled or disrespected. Kazuki had also left his mark in the mafia world at my age when he had singlehandedly destroyed a few enemy Famiglia.

It was hard to live up to the expectations that had been brought down on me ever since I had been born, since my parents and Kazuki were so adept at what they did. I had always disappointed everyone. I was never as great as Suzu or as astonishing as Kazuki. I had been completely helpless before, but even now, when things were like this... I had barely grazed what they wanted from me.

Or maybe, after all this time, they realized it was stupid for them to even anticipate something from me anymore.

Someone like me, who was never meant to be in this world... What was I supposed to do?

I had been so absorbed in my own thoughts that I only snapped back to reality when something slapped me across the face. Instinctively reaching up to touch my throbbing cheek, I turned to meet the eyes of Reborn, who held a flyswatter that Leon had transformed into.

"What are you saying, idiot? Have some confidence for once, will you? You're being pathetic again, like you always were before. Don't tell me that you haven't changed at all from back then."

Looking at one of the strongest Mafioso in front of me, staring at me with his dark obsidian eyes that shined with hard expectance in them, I wasn't sure whether or not to feel better. Expectations once more... but that was exactly what they were.

He _had _expectations for me.

My feelings were all jumbled together, and I wasn't even sure how I felt about anything anymore. It wasn't the first time that my mind was in such a disorganized, chaotic mess in which all I felt was _mystified_, but it was the first time in quite a while. I supposed it was because for the past few months, there had never been anything for me to worry about or for me to be confused over, since I hadn't ever encountered an illusionist. And even if I had, I had always been with someone so nobody had ever said much about it.

After all, everyone in Vongola knew.

They knew exactly why I was so dysfunctional when faced with illusions, and why I was so horrible with them. They knew why, and they said that they understood it—that it wasn't my fault. But no matter how hard they tried to hide their disappointment and their disapproval, I could see it so clearly.

Having confidence was something that I couldn't bring myself to do. I couldn't have a sincerely self-assured attitude regarding myself. I knew that there were many people around me who believed vastly in their abilities, and it was always wholehearted. Squalo took so much pride in himself, as did Xanxus. I wasn't a fan of Levi, but I knew that he was able to appreciate his skills properly. Kazuki was modest, but I knew he was aware he wasn't just an average Mafioso. Suzu was indifferent when speaking of it, but her confidence oozed out from the way she moved and how she acted.

And me? I had never genuinely known the word "confidence."

So what was he talking about?

As if reading my mind, Reborn's lips tugged downwards even more, and the flyswatter connected with my face another time. The hit was harder, sharper, and on the same cheek. The sound of being slapped with the pest-hitter seemed to bounce off Tsuna's bedroom walls, and everyone besides Reborn and I had been staggered into silence.

Unable to bring myself to lift my eyes up and meet Reborn's, I kept my dark cobalt eyes trained on my clenched fists. I bit down on my lip roughly, squeezing my eyes shut.

What was I doing? What was I _doing_?

"Oi, pull yourself together," Reborn demanded sternly. "You're going to let what Gokudera said get to you?"

"W-Wha—I didn't even _do _anything!" Gokudera protested in a stutter, sounding stunned that Reborn had mentioned his name.

I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to delve deeper into a subject that seemed to turn me upside down and inside out. And I certainly didn't want to break down in front of Tsuna and the others. They wouldn't know what to do, and they wouldn't know what was wrong.  
>I wouldn't be able to bring myself to tell them.<p>

"What happened? I... can't remember." I said softly, my eyes lifting off my fists to stare pleadingly into Reborn's. I wanted him to let this all slip, to just let it disappear for a moment. He could insult me all he wanted later, and he could lecture me until he was pleased, but not now. Not when we were in front of people who had never been involved in it—something that I would like to keep.

His onyx eyes stared at me, as if gauging just how desperately I wanted to escape from it all, even for just a moment. His lips were pulled into a frown as he contemplated which course of action would be the best one to take—to press the issue, or to drop it and pick it up once again later on.

Luckily, Yamamoto saved me unintentionally. "Well, what don't you remember?"

"After Masaru left," I murmured, "and you guys came... I don't know what happened after that. Who—" I swallowed, my stomach knotting in dreadful anticipation, "—who cleaned my wounds?"

"We brought you to Dino-san's," Tsuna informed me with a slight, hesitant smile. "Reborn suggested it. The kind maids there cleaned your wounds."

Relief crashed down on me, and I immediately felt my own body relaxing. Thank the heavens that it wasn't Nana—she would have been horrified, and I wasn't sure how she would've reacted. I certainly didn't want anyone in Tsuna's Family finding out about it, which was why it was completely fine if I had been taken care of by members in the Chiavarone Famiglia, since they were aware of the situation that had taken place years ago.

Letting out a long, comforted breath that I hadn't even known I was holding, I said, "I see."

"You're lucky Yamamoto caught you in time," Gokudera informed me, his voice still somewhat angry and bitter. "If he hadn't, your head probably would've been split open."

"Ah, so the one that had caught me had been you, Yamamoto?" I inquired, glancing up at the tall baseball player. A smile crawled onto my face, and I beamed at him. "Thank you so much."

He let out a chuckle, one of his hands going up to ruffle the back of his short ebony hair. "I'm just glad I could make it in it. It was a close call."

I wasn't surprised at all, though. I knew just how fast Yamamoto was, and his long legs also helped him. His strides were long and quick, and while I was sure he hadn't exactly reached me entirely, he still managed to prevent my head from slamming into the floor. It was something that I was immensely grateful for—I hated any damage done to my head. I had gotten a concussion once, and I didn't ever want to go through it again.

"How did you guys find me?" I looked around at them, my eyebrows pulling together faintly. It was something that had been bothering me before, since I didn't recall ever telling them about the meeting spot. I was sure that none of them had been following me while I was making my way over to Masaru's base, either. I couldn't figure out how the group would've found me.

"Obviously we found it strange that you weren't at school," Gokudera grumbled, not looking at me as he spoke. In fact, his head was turned adamantly the other way to stare out the window, like he thought staring at me would destroy his brain cells. "When the Tenth asked around, we figured out that nobody saw you at all, so we got suspicious."

"You left your schoolbag at home," Tsuna continued, a nervous smile entering his features. "W-We... We sort of..."

"They went through your bag," Reborn said frankly.

"H-Hey, Reborn!" Tsuna exclaimed in objection. "Don't just put all the blame on us. _You_were the one who suggested it!"

"Well of course, No-Good Tsuna," Reborn retorted easily, not looking fazed at all by the accusation. "It was the only natural thing to do. And you're lucky that we found it, Azumi."

My eyebrows completely strung together as I stared at the Arcobaleno uncomprehendingly. They had gone through my bag, but I wasn't sure what I had in there that would have given them any clues about my whereabouts. The fact that they had ransacked through my schoolbag didn't bother me in the slightest—Squalo and other members of Varia frequently rampaged through my shared room, so I was used to the lack of privacy when it came to what I had in my house or in my bags and coats.

"Um," I started hesitantly, "what exactly did you find?"

Reborn pulled something out of his pocket, unfolding the small square. It unraveled to show a badly creased paper that had obviously been crumpled prior to being folded. He held the small sheet up in front of him, and my eyes widened in recognition. "This."

"Didn't I—?" I stopped my sentence, my mind flashing back to when I had received the note. Remembering the scene, I realized that I really hadn't thrown it away. After the man gave it to me, I had wrinkled it in my hand and thrown it into my bag, thinking I'd throw it out later that night. Yet Lambo, I-Pin, and Fuuta had distracted me with their enthusiastic games, and I hadn't remembered the note at all.

"Azumi..." Tsuna trailed off, his eyes burning into my head. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, and my hands clenched into tight fists. "You should've said something."

"I'm sorry," I apologized quietly. "But it's not as if it was that bad. I mean, I'm still—"

Another slap to the cheek, and I inhaled deeply to keep myself from asking Reborn to stop. I wasn't sure why he felt the need to hit me, and I wasn't sure if I actually deserved it, but I didn't want to cause any more trouble than I already did. If I opened my mouth again, I was sure that something else would be detonated.

"What were you going to say, Azumi?" Reborn demanded, his voice quiet. It was what made him seem all the more menacing. When I snuck a hesitant glance at him, his eyes were hidden under the shadow of his fedora, his grip on Leon tight and his other hand clenched into a fist. Hearing such a serious tone from him had me almost flinching away from him in fear.

I had dealt with members in enemy Famiglia that held deadly weapons. I had faced off against enormous armies of men that were twice my size. I had gone into missions that held a high chance of succeeding, yet the chances of everyone coming out alive were slim. Assassinating other Bosses were also deeds I had done with my fellow Varia members. And yet I had never felt as scared as I did now, facing the Sun Arcobaleno.

"What, do you think that since you're not dead, what you did was okay?" The room was so silent that even though Reborn spoke in such a soft volume, it sounded as if his words were thunderous enough to break down the walls.

My mouth opened to respond, but then it shut just as quickly. My hands shook slightly at his words. I wanted to tell him that he was wrong, but I knew that he wasn't. I _was _going to say that since I was still alive, it was okay that I hadn't said anything.

After a few moments of terse, almost suffocating silence, Gokudera's slightly rough voice broke through it. "You're like how I was." When my eyes snapped to meet his, he continued, "Willing to give your life up for it. Willing to die for your friends."

This time, I managed to say what I wanted to. "You're wrong!"

"Like hell I am," Gokudera retorted.

"I'm not... I'm _not_ self-destructive!" I exclaimed, speaking the truth. "Just because I'm in Varia, it doesn't mean that we're taught to forfeit ourselves when we know that it won't do anything. We're elites—we _know_ when doing like sacrificing ourselves will result in nothing. That _wasn't _what I was doing."

"Then what were you doing?" The jade-eyed dynamite user demanded.

"Like I said—it's unusual for powerful organizations to go up against Vongola," I repeated what I said earlier. "I didn't expect something like this. I'm sorry, I really am."

Yamamoto seemed to take pity on me, as he said, "We really shouldn't be doing this right now. I mean, after all, this heavy atmosphere must be bad for her health, right? Azumi still needs to get healthier, so let's all talk when you're feeling better."

The look I gave him was more than just grateful. I looked at him almost as if he was my hero. His response was an upward tilt of the lips that automatically had me relaxing a bit.

"Yamamoto's right," Tsuna agreed softly, hesitantly. "We can speak about this a little later."

"Yeah," Reborn decided. "We _will_." To me, it sounded more like a threat than a simple agreement.

Gokudera looked like he was about to protest, but upon seeing the looks that the brunette and the onyx-haired baseball player gave him, he relented unhappily. "Fine."

"Thanks," I murmured softly. Relief washed over me at the closing of our discussion. I didn't want to speak of it anymore. I hated how we only seemed to be speaking of depressing subjects—especially ones that stomped on my nerves. My cheek, too, felt like another slap to it would have it swelling up to the size of a watermelon.

"Get some rest, Azumi," Tsuna instructed me in his voice that, while he probably didn't know, sounded like a caress. It was a soft, tender voice that made me feel like I was being surrounded in white feathers every time he spoke. He took the tray of eaten food from me, and blinked down at me with his large chocolate orbs.

"...Yeah," I sighed quietly, lying back down. I pulled the covers up to my shoulders not because I was cold, but because I felt like it would protect me from the rest of them. Almost as if I thought it'd protect me from the feelings that I held.

Turning over onto my side so that my back faced them, I shut my eyes and pretended to be asleep. It was so obvious that I wasn't truly resting, and I was sure that they were aware of that fact as well.

It wasn't long before they exited the room, leaving me with my own thoughts.

* * *

><p>The moonlight that streamed through the opened crack of Tsuna's curtain illuminated the three figures that slept in futons on the floor. It turned out that Gokudera and Yamamoto would be sleeping over for a while, so that if Masaru decided to attack, it would be safer with all three of them together. Hibari, of course, would be alone, and I worried about Ryohei. Tsuna had said that they had invited Ryohei to sleep over as well, but he was concerned about Kyoko being targeted, and he wanted to stay to protect her.<p>

Reborn was sleeping, like always, in his hammock that hung from the ceiling dressed in his matching pajamas and his night cap on. His hands were clasped together and placed on his stomach. It surprised me that he never seemed to move at all in his sleep, opposed to Tsuna, who thrashed around and often kicked the blanket off his bed.

The fact that the trio of Nami Middle students were sleeping so soundly with one another had me smiling. Opposed to their serious, drawn faces when we had been speaking earlier on, while they slept, their faces were relaxed and much less fierce. It was a contentedness that I knew they probably only received while unconscious.

However, as the reason that explained why the two Guardians were here came back and hit me, I couldn't bring myself to smile anymore.

Danger was near, and it was closing in on everyone. The dread that I felt only seemed to intensify, but no matter how hard I wracked my brain for ideas, I came up with blanks.

Maybe if it was _her_, things would be different.

But she wasn't here, this was me, and I didn't know what to do.

Sighing, I lifted up one side of my shirt to reveal my abdomen, my eyes narrowing and my lips thinning. My hands clenched the fabric of my shirt tighter, my heart pounding harder as his menacing voice said haunting words inside my mind, his face fluttering through the white canvas of my thoughts.

Because in the light that the glowing crescent above provided, one could clearly see the pale sapphire marks shaped like cherry blossom petals scattered all over my skin.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

And that concludes the eleventh chapter of _You, Who Will Never be Bound!_I hope that you guys enjoyed it! (:

It definitely wasn't as long as my previous chapter, so I hope that this wall of text wasn't completely blinding. HAHA? xD

I apologize for any OOCness, grammar mistakes, or spelling errors!

LOTS OF LOVE AND THANKS TO;

**Luka'sBlade, sky of c-o-l-o-r-s, Audanna, kimichee, Yukari-chan s2, Nomurai, VongolaXII, AkainoHotaru, lokiwokf, xXMizukiXx, , Youknowwhothisis, manabi, Guest, Guest, and arkee**

Thank you guys so much for your encouraging reviews! You have no idea how much it means to me! (:

And also, thanks a bunch to everyone who read the story and favourited or alerted... and preferably both! XD

WARNING: UPCOMING WALLS OF TEXT AS RESPONSES!

To** Luka'sBlade**;

Aww, thank you for having so much faith in me and my ability to keep characters in character. xD And thank you for your compliments. HAHA, to be honest, you're not the first person who has told me that. I've been told my stories have a tendency to roll rather slowly, and I'm quite sorry about that! I think it's because when authors rush stories, it irritates me, so I always end up taking a lot of time with mine. OTL. I finally updated, so I hope you like this chapter! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! (:

To **Nomurai**;

ASDNGOWENBO. LOL. I'm sorry that I took almost forever to get that one up! This one took a while too, and it's not nearly as long... Forgive me? -sheepish smile- Yup, Azumi has a brother and a sister. HOHO. It's a bit over a month, but I finally got this one done. WERE they cool? LOL. I have no idea. I'm glad you think they're awesome; I was worried that people would they that they're lame. HAHA. Thank you for your continuous support! I hope that you liked this chapter! ;D

To **VongolaXII**;

I'M SORRY. OTL. But I'm the kind of author that likes long chapters and fewer chapters rather than a million chapters that are only a few pages long. X.x I'm glad that you love Azumi! I think that some people find her irritating, considering that fact that most people tend to dislike nice OCs, but y'know. Thanks for always showing me your support, and I hope you liked this chapter! (:

To **AkainoHotaru**;

I'm glad that you love this story! I'm sorry that I made you sit and just read super long chapters for a day, though. HAHA. I'm probably not going to be super active despite the summer, but I'm hoping that things will be less hectic in August. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part, though. -sigh- I'm so glad that you like Azumi! I'm always worried that people don't, since she isn't one of those sassy, fiery types that I think most people enjoy. Thank god you think I captured him alright. It's one of the scariest and most fretful things as a fanfic writer; getting the characters' personalities down, especially the main ones. FIVE HUNDRED? A THOUSAND? Ahmygosh, that's a lot. LOL. I'm glad that you think my writing and this story is worthy enough to get such amazing responses! But I think I've got a long way to go. Though if you keep flattery me like that, I might get even more greedy than I already am. =P I hope to hear from you often, and that you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for your time! (:

To** xXMizukiXx**;

Ahh. Azumi's really not that amazing in battle despite being in Varia. LOL. I guess I didn't really mention that, but it DOES come up later on in the story. I go into detail about it later~ (: I like to think that Azumi has lots of flaws, but then again, I'm biased. Like always. xD DO I ALWAYS WRITE ABOUT THE HARD CHARACTERS? I don't really notice it. I usually just write about the characters that I like the most. -DIES- I think that it's impossible to keep an original character actually IN COMPLETE character when with an OC or any other person if it's not official, but I DO hope that I can make his change subtle and believable. Thanks so much for your encouragement! I hope that you liked this chapterrrr. (:

And that concludes my huge paragraphs of responses!

I don't really have much to say except for...

ONE: Since there's a new way of reviewing for anonymous reviewers, it doesn't allow you to put your name to it. I don't like that, since I don't know who I'm talking to and because I really don't want to refer to every anonymous reviewer as "Guest." Because of this, I'd love it if you're an anon to sign the bottom your review so that I know who I'm addressing! It'd be much appreciated, unless you WANT to all be called "Guest"... xD?

TWO: My spellcheck on this thing still isn't working. Is it just me? -DIES- So I'm sorry if the italicized words still string together!

THREE: Hi. (:

There really isn't much to say except that the time is ticking on the clock for Azumi now, right? (: I hope that this keeps you guys wondering~

Once again, I'm sorry for the late update. OTL. I hope that I can update again soon ( my definition of soon is like... Two weeks? ) but I KNOW that I'll definitely update once a month! So... ENBOEWNBOWEB. ( Not very impressive, I know. OTL. )

Tell me your thoughts in a review or a PM! Love it, hate it, like it, dislike it? I don't bite! (:

See you guys again soon!

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	12. Apathetic Knight

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! All rights go to Amano Akira!**

**A/N:**

... Did I just update within a month? I KNOW; HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? Somehow, it is. OTL. I think I neglected writing all my stories to write this chapter, but I got it up. YAY! (:

Even though it's summer vacation for me, I've been dying. I had to finish a full-year course in, like, a week. It was my fault for being lazy, but I managed to get it done, so ta-da! I'm going to be writing like a madwoman (:

But how are YOUR summersssss? ;D

Aside from that, I hope you guys like this chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER TWELVE;<strong>

_"Apathetic Knight"_

* * *

><p>Frustrated, I ran a hand roughly through my hair and shut my eyes tightly.<p>

Day three.

The third day since the fight with Masaru, and I still had yet to find an antidote. No matter which remedy I tried, no matter how many books I read or how much research I did, nothing seemed to work. The marks that painted my skin wouldn't disappear. In fact, over the course of the days, they had spread even further across my body.

Yet what he said was right. I felt no pain, and experienced no symptoms except for the baby blue tattoos. I felt like I wouldn't be so unnerved if he had been lying, because if he was being honest, then the next day would be weakness and exhaustion, both of which were things that I couldn't afford. I had to find a solution to my little—huge, actually—predicament.

I let my head fall into my arms, which had been folded across the book that rested on the library desk I had been occupying for the past two days. I was so tired, but my panic and my desperation outweighed everything else that I was feeling. I hadn't even attended any classes the past two days because I spent all my time either researching for different solutions, or finding ingredients to make a new cure that I had discovered. I knew that everyone thought my behaviour was odd, but I knew that I didn't have the leisure to sit in class and pretend to be a student.  
><em><br>Tsuna must be so __worried, _my mind murmured in a sigh. Guilt continuously gnawed at me with every second that ticked. Even though Gokudera had gotten so angry with me about keeping things from others, I was still doing it. I could imagine just how livid he'd be once he found out about the poison. But that was really only if he ever found out about it in the first place. I had debated telling them about it, but I was too far into my lie to get myself out of it.

In all honesty, I knew that it was just because I was too scared of what they'd say.

I didn't want to get scolded again, even if I deserved it. The moment I informed them about my situation, I knew that they wouldn't even know how to feel. I had assured that them I wasn't keeping anything from them. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if Tsuna or Yamamoto were getting exasperated with me, let alone Gokudera. The silver-haired Guardian would probably try to rip my head off and then feed me to the sharks.

Then there was Reborn and—dear lord, I didn't even want to _think _about what he would say to me. Or what he would do. I winced slightly at the mere thought.

As the image of the small, tuxedo-clad Arcobaleno flashed through my mind, I lifted my head up off my arms and turned to look at the clock. It was way past supper hour at the Sawada household, but as I shifted my head to stare out the window, the sky was still light. The days were dragging on much longer now that summer was beginning, which meant that the sun had only just made it halfway down the horizon despite the fact that it was nine-thirty in the evening.

For the next fifteen minutes, I simply took some time to stare at the beautiful sight that was displayed out in front of me. The sunset painted the sky in brilliantly warm colours that ranged from yellow, orange, pink, red, gray, and a dark shade of cobalt. All the colours crashed into each other, intermingling and blending together to create shades that I couldn't even begin to describe. The entire scene was dazzling and breathtakingly beautiful. It pierced through my wall of uneasy and restlessness for just a moment, swallowing me up in soothing calmness and serenity. Almost as if I was entranced by a spell, all the worry and unease that I felt had just vanished.

I felt like it was things like this that people in the mafia world needed to be reminded of. We were all so caught up in our own worlds of guns, fights, deals, enemies, allies—we were so bloodstained, so tainted. We were dragged into an underground world that was so dark that, sometimes, we forgot that things could ever look so bright. We forgot that there could be some sort of beauty that wasn't caused by victory, but by Mother Nature. It slipped our minds that earth was an amazing thing in itself, and that in its own ways, it created miracles we couldn't even dream of starting.

Sighing softly, I let my dark cerulean eyes linger on the stunning sunset for another heartbeat or two before I reluctantly tore my eyes away. As much as I would have loved to merely sit and watch the entire process, I knew that I couldn't. If I didn't want to be stuck in Nami Middle's library for the rest of the night, then I had to make my way back Tsuna's house before darkness fell over the city.

The chair made a slight screeching sound as I stood up, my legs pushing the wooden furniture back. I closed all the books that I had been looking at and exited the sites that I had been looking at on the computer, making sure to log out before turning the machine off. As I began to place the books back where I had found them, my mind wandered off to wonder if it was possible to gain access to the Varia's library without actually being at the base. I didn't quite remember if anyone had ever mentioned a secret online network with articles of information on it, but I really doubted that it existed. It would be much too risky to have anything like secret blueprints or antidote formulas up on the web. Even if myriads upon myriads of protection and security had been put into place, there would undoubtedly be someone on an opposing team that would somehow find a crack in the barriers and hack into the site.

My lips tugged downwards slightly as I thought more about it. Compared to the books and information that was provided by the books at a mundane library, the novels and studies that were situated in Varia would be much more helpful. There were so many things that normal humans just weren't aware of—so many species of plants that they had yet to discover, so many different uses for flowers that they already knew, and so many different combinations that they would never think of. In the mafia world though, it was what some people lived on. There was no argument when it came to the data that Mafioso had and the knowledge that a normal human had, the gap between the two would be incredibly wide. I had a feeling that even if I spent hours and hours poring over the books in any of the town's libraries, I wouldn't be able to come up with a solution.

I thought about calling the base and asking for someone—preferably Kazu, since I knew that Xanxus wouldn't even let me get five words out of my mouth before he hung up on me, and Squalo would surely only yell at me or being an idiot—to read out some excerpts for me, but I was sure that my older brother was busy on a mission and wasn't actually at the base. I would ask Suzu, but I knew that she would only laugh at me for getting myself into such a state, and there was no way that she'd let me live it down. Not to mention that I was sure that she wouldn't even be awake—she slept so much that she could be considered a human in the process of hibernation. Adding onto all that was the fact that I was a hundred percent sure that she would interrogate me about certain things that I wasn't quite sure I wanted to talk about. All those reasons led to me to cross out asking Varia for help in this.  
><em><br>Maybe I won't need __it, _I tried convincing myself as I left the school building and began my trek back to the Sawada house. It wasn't entirely impossible for me to somehow spin up a remedy with the time that I had left. Although I wasn't an expert in poisons or someone who excelled in the lessons we had taken on toxins and herbs, that didn't mean that I was completely hopeless. I had _some _sort of idea about what I was doing, and perhaps my mind would just somehow put together something that would work.

"That's... not convincing at all," I murmured to myself. Even to my own ears, my voice sounded dejected and resigned, almost like I had given up. I shook my head rapidly, knowing that it wouldn't truly exile any of those pessimistic thoughts, but hoping desperately that it would. It wasn't the time to just _give up_. On the contrary, I should be even more motivated to get through this. I was supposed to be all fired up and determined. After all, I had been so confident when I told Masaru that I could get over his poison easily.

But then I was reminded once again that it hadn't been real confidence at all, but merely something I had said on impulse in order to spite him.  
>I rounded the corner and onto the street that Tsuna's house was located on. Even from where I was, I could see that the light in Tsuna's room was still on, as well as the one in the living room. I supposed that I shouldn't have been surprised—it really wasn't that late. My stomach knotted anxiously in my stomach as I neared the house.<p>

There was no doubt that Reborn's ears had picked up on the fact that I had been skipping my classes to do something. Albeit he was supposed to solely be Tsuna's home tutor, he somehow managed to make it seem like he was disciplining the entire Family. Not that I was actually part of Tsuna's Family, but Reborn was like a trainer for _everyone_. He always somehow managed to mold and develop people into someone better. Needless to say, his methods were incredibly brutal and tiring, but I knew that he always had the best intentions in mind.

Reminding myself that maybe, just maybe, he didn't know I hadn't attended my classes for the past two days, I unlocked the Sawada household's front door and stepped inside the warm, welcoming home. I shut the door behind me as I took off my shoes, trying to be as quiet as possible. I didn't hear Lambo, I-Pin, or Fuuta's voices, so I assumed that they were safely asleep either in their rooms or in the living room with Nana.

Sure enough, as I entered the common ground for everyone to gather—aside from the kitchen—my eyes fell on the sleeping figures that were on the couch. The children seemed to sleep so peacefully and contentedly. Lambo mumbled softly in his dreams, a thin line of drool escaping his mouth and falling onto the couch cushion that he was sleeping on. I-Pin and Fuuta were curled up together looking like angels, and Nana was sitting in the center of all of them, her head tilting to the side slightly as she slept. She must have felt extremely worn out lately, since it was rare for her to be asleep at such a time.

I padded over to one of the closets built into the wall and opened it up, taking out a thin, large blanket. It wasn't cold at night, but it wasn't too hot for a blanket, either. As quietly as I could, I unfolded the blanket and flung it upwards after holding the corners, making sure that the edges of the blanket didn't cover anyone's face. When I was happy with the positioning of the light cloth, I flicked on the nightlight on the wall and turned off the main lights in the living room. I would have left the lights on in order to see where I was going, but the lights in the upstairs' hallway were on, so I was able to see things quite clearly.

Before I even got up onto the second level of the household, I could hear the sound of water running, meaning that someone was taking a shower. I wasn't sure if Yamamoto and Gokudera were still staying over, but if they weren't, then that meant that it had to be Tsuna in the washroom. I wasn't sure when Reborn took his showers, but I knew that he never took them so late at night.

Pondering about whether or not I would be greeted with the faces of the Rain and Storm Guardians, I grasped the handle to Tsuna's room and slowly pushed it open. The sight that greeted me the moment I walked in was the two of them sitting together playing cards. They both looked up at me as I entered the room, mild surprise playing along their features before the emotion disappeared. Happiness and cheer seemed to replace the faint shock—or, well, at least that was how it was like for _one _of the two Guardians. The other one merely looked irritated.

"Welcome back, Azumi!" Yamamoto greeted with a bright smile. "We were wondering where you were off to."

"Good evening, Yamamoto!" I returned. My teeth flashed as I looked at the jade-eyed dynamite-user. "Hi there, Gokudera!"

He gave me a look of distaste. "Can't you tell by the mood that it's not time to barge in with your infuriating happiness?"

I quirked an eyebrow at him, curious and amused. "Why not?"

Gokudera impatiently gestured to all the sprawled out cards. "We're in the middle of something."

"Are you winning?" I took a closer look at what they were playing and my eyebrows shot up to my hairline. It was a game that I was _very _familiar with. "The flop..."

"Is going to destroy the baseball freak? Yeah, it will." Gokudera's eyes shone with determination as he stared at the three cards that were laid down face up in between the two Guardians. After giving a look to Yamamoto, who nodded his head, Gokudera placed a card face down on the side and then flipped another one up, putting it in line with the three other cards. It was a queen of hearts.

I laughed at Gokudera's displeased facial expression, which got me a glower in return. Crossing his arms over his chest, he demanded, "What are _you _laughing at, woman?"

"It's nothing," I told him with a grin. Taking a seat on the side so I could observe their game, I commented, "I never knew that you guys knew how to play poker, though."

"I didn't know what the game was until Gokudera taught me," Yamamoto admitted with a chuckle. His light chocolate eyes were bright as he looked at the person who sat across from him. "He's a good teacher when it comes to things like this!"

"Hmph." Gokudera's expression turned somewhat haughty, and he straightened his back. "I'm an _amazing_ teacher when it comes to _everything_," he corrected.

I didn't want to outright disagree with him about that—I had heard stories from Tsuna about Gokudera's extremely scientific and scrupulous teaching methods. From what I had been told, it was ruthless, but I personally knew people who grew up being familiar with Gokudera's instructing system. It really just depended on the individual. No matter how I looked at it though, I didn't see Yamamoto as the type to understand and comprehend the feisty Storm Guardian's ways.

Changing the subject, my eyes swept across to room. It was strange how Reborn hadn't started inflicting some sort of punishment on me the moment I entered the room. I spotted him sleeping in his hammock, already dressed in his matching light blue pajamas and his night cap placed securely on his head. The snot bubble that he always seemed to produce when sleeping soundly was present, but somehow, I felt like he wasn't really actually sleeping. Not only was it much too early for Reborn to be in bed, but there was no way that he'd just let the fact that I had skipped my classes slip from his mind like that.

"Is Reborn okay?" I asked in concern, my eyebrows furrowing together slightly as I turned to face the Guardians. I couldn't think of any reason that would cause such a strange change in Reborn's attitude, but I knew that whatever it was, it had to be something that deeply bothered him. Or was I just thinking too deeply into it?

"You better not think he's dead, you stupid woman, or I'll wring your neck," Gokudera threatened. He placed the last card down, his lips twitching slightly upwards. The glint that his emerald eyes shone with proved his confidence for victory, but when he looked up and saw me, his facial expression instantly morphed back into something like a scowl.

"No, no!" I exclaimed, waving my hands in front of my face to emphasize my words. "It's not that..."

"Then what's your problem?" Gokudera asked, annoyance painting his gruff tone. If he didn't understand what I was talking about, then was it just me? They had been around Reborn for most of their day, so I was sure that they would have picked something up if anything had gone wrong. Judging from the clueless curiosity that was in Yamamoto's eyes as he looked at me, he clearly didn't think that anything was wrong with Reborn, either.

Hesitantly, I shook my head slowly. There was still a strange feeling in my gut that told me that something wasn't right with Reborn, but I decided to brush it off for now. Since I had been getting so little sleep lately, it was possible that my brain and body were just playing tricks on me. I decided that if Reborn also acted differently from his usual attitude tomorrow, then I would confront him about it. Even if it meant I'd get a beating. But I really hoped that it wouldn't go down that path.

Before anything else could be said, the room's door opened slowly to reveal the Vongola's Tenth Boss. Dressed in an old, casual t-shirt and baggy shorts, Tsuna's light chestnut hair was still damp as he came into the room, although that didn't seem to reduce the spikiness of his strands. He had a towel wrapped around his neck, and his expression contorted into one of surprise as his chocolate eyes landed on me.

"A-Azumi!" he exclaimed in greeting.

I waved at him with a bright grin. "Hi, Tsuna!"

"You're back," he observed as he took a seat across from me. Together, the four of us formed a square around the cards that were seated in the middle. He blinked his wide, worried eyes at me and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I reassured him, though my stomach twisted uncomfortably at my own words. I was lying straight through my teeth to him. To _Tsuna_, someone who was so gentle and so understanding. In an attempt to dodge anymore questions, I stood up from where I sat and moved to where my luggage was. "I'll be using the bathroom now. Is that okay, or does anyone else need to use it first?"

"I think we're all good," Yamamoto informed me as he looked around at the other two. "Gokudera and I showered before Tsuna did."

"Alright," I said. Grabbing a fresh set of undergarments, which I subtly hid underneath my pajamas, I headed off to take my shower.

* * *

><p>"Are you alright, Azumi-chan?" Chie asked. She looked at me with her doe-like crimson eyes with concern etched into her beautiful, softly angular features as she began to put things back into her bag. We had just finished the last bit of paperwork for the day, and we were preparing to part ways.<p>

I scolded myself internally. She wasn't supposed to notice that anything was wrong. In my mind, I felt like I had been acting the part of being normal extremely well. It was a skill that was hammered into members of Varia—the ability to push aside any weakness and concentrate on the fight or mission that was at hand. For me, my so-called "mission" was to thwart any questions that would arise if I didn't hold myself together well enough.

"I'm just a bit tired." That _was_ the partial truth. There was no way that I was going to tell her I had been poisoned in the course of the past few days and that I was finally entering the stages of the poison where I would be suffering through symptoms. She had no recollection of what had happened to her four nights ago when she had gotten kidnapped by Masaru, and I intended to keep it that way. If what Reborn had told me was correct, Shamal had come and injected some sort of short-term memory loss virus in her. I had been opposed to it at first—after all, it was a _virus_. A mere mortal's body was a lot weaker than the ones that Mafioso were naturally born with, and we had no idea how it would affect her. However, I was reminded that there would be no easy way to get rid of her memory of what happened.

And although I was still kind of reluctant about it, I knew that she would _not _want to remember what had occurred that day.

Her sweet, quiet voice brought me back to reality and out of my own reveries. "You shouldn't stay too long, then. It's best if you get some more rest."

"Don't worry." I gave her a comforting smile that seemed to take so much effort. "I'll only stay for a little bit."

"Promise me?" Her gaze was piercing as she waited expectantly for a response. Everything about her suggested that she felt troubled with my appearance and my lack of energy. I was touched with how she seemed to care so much about me, despite only having known me for a few days. It reminded me that lives of ordinary people were so different from those that were part of the underground world.

"I promise," I swore with a smile that seemed easier to create. It was definitely one that I wouldn't be able to keep for very long, considering the fact that I felt like my head was about to explode at any moment. The throbbing had been resonating like gongs inside my head the entire day, and it created a force so strong that sometimes I staggered under it.

Although she didn't quite look that convinced, Chie nodded her head slowly and pulled the straps of the schoolbag onto her shoulder. "Okay. Please take care when you're going home, Azumi-chan."

"You too, Chie," I told her. "Be careful."

"See you tomorrow," she said before turning on her heels and leaving. She looked over her shoulder at me with furrowed eyebrows just before she completely disappeared from my sight, but I merely waved at her with a bright grin. Still looking unconvinced that nothing was wrong, but not pushing it any farther than she already had, she continued on her way out of the building and to her home.

I watched as she left, wondering if I should have gone with her and acted as her bodyguard. Normally, I would have taken this precaution without a single second's worth of hesitation. It seemed reasonable to take all actions necessary to keep her safe when she wasn't even supposed to be part of the entire ordeal, but I highly doubted that anything would happen to her. From what I could tell based off of what Masaru said and _how _he had spoken, using Chie as a hostage was just a one-time thing. Not only that, but he didn't seem to be the type to use the same tactics twice. For whatever reason, he seemed quite satisfied with what had transpired in that battle, but I really didn't know why. It wasn't as if he was guaranteed a triumph in the future, though it was entirely possible that his arrogance would make him think so.

But I knew that even if I had accompanied Chie home, if anything _were _to happen, I wouldn't be able to protect her very well at all.

In the state that I was in, I wouldn't be able to hold my own against someone like Masaru. The brawl would be over in less than five minutes, if it even lasted that long.

Sighing, I shut my eyes tightly and rested my head in my arms once again as I rested on the desk that I was sitting at. According to Masaru, the fourth day included dizziness and weakness, which was true. I had been hoping that he had been lying to me and that it would just be more marks, but unfortunately, he had been telling me the complete and utter truth. The one thing that seemed to have been left out of his list of symptoms was the headache that I would be suffering with through the entire day.

There was no scorching pain in my body. I didn't feel like I was getting stabbed repeatedly or like I was being burned alive, but my head spun like I had been going around in circles for hours and hours without stopping. Throughout the course of the day, there were so many times when I had imagined the world around me moving even when I was static. Half the time, the floor beneath my feet slid upwards and replaced the ceiling or sky. It made me feel nauseous and sick, queasiness sinking into my stomach. Not only that, but the headaches were torture. They pounded as if boulders were constantly being thrown at my head. Each time my brain throbbed, it hurt so much that I began to wonder how my mind hadn't been destroyed yet. Or got blown to pieces. I felt so unsteady. Even when I was sitting down, which was something I had been doing practically half the day, I felt as if I'd topple over onto the floor at any moment.

And there was the "weakness" part of the fourth day as well.

Biting down on my lower lip as another wave of pain slammed into my mind, I curled into myself a bit more. My hands automatically came up to clutch at my head, fisting at my strands of long hair. I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing that I should be doing some more research, but not being able to. I was almost too scared to move—every motion I made seemed to trigger some sort of ache in my head.

My eyelids felt so heavy. In fact, my entire body felt like it was made of bricks. It was difficult to move as quick and efficiently as I did yesterday—my movements were sluggish and slower than usual. There was a thick haze in my mind, making the wheels turn listlessly and lethargically. Albeit my mind was slowly being ripped apart with pain, I still somehow managed to feel tired and sleepy. I knew that, while I was exhausted even before the fourth day's symptoms hit, there was no way I could be this tired. No matter what I did, it seemed difficult. Walking seemed to take more energy than before. Breathing seemed to be more difficult. Lifting up my schoolbag equaled heaving up a net of elephants.

I wanted to sleep. It wasn't only because I was so fatigued, but also because I just wanted to escape the throbbing of my head for only a moment. For just a little while, I wanted to be rid of the pain that I felt. Letting my eyes flutter shut in an attempt to drown everything out, including the headache and twisting sensation in my stomach, I wondered if I could force my body to shut down if I willed it to.

But it was proved unnecessary as, within just a few mere seconds, I had already drifted off into another world.

* * *

><p>Opening my blurry eyes groggily, I sat up from the leaning position I had been in, and was instantly rewarded with another stab to my head. I bit down on lip to keep myself from cursing or letting out a pathetic whimper. I reached up tentatively to wipe at my eyes in an attempt to clear my hazy vision, and then turned to look at the clock.<p>

Six-thirty.

My lips pressed into a thin line, and I sighed. I remained sitting at the library desk for a moment, simply gathering myself back into one piece and contemplating my next move. I was reminded of the fact that it was still the fourth day, and that I probably wouldn't be able to get anything done today. It was impossible to concentrate on anything at this point. Deciding to give up on staying here any longer, I carefully got up from where I sat and pushed the chair back in. Picking up my schoolbag with more effort than anyone really actually needed, I stumbled slightly as I made my way out of the Nami Middle library.

I was rubbing my temples gently with my fingertips when I exited the school building and was greeted with the warm, early evening air. The sun was still up and about, shining as cheerfully as it did this afternoon. Seeing it made me remember the astonishing sunset that I had seen yesterday night, and I felt a small pang of regret that I wouldn't be able to see it tonight as well.

So absorbed in my own thoughts, I hadn't even noticed that a group of people had been about to walk through the school's main gates just as I was about to leave them. We bumped into each other lightly, but that still sent my mind spinning.

"I'm so sorry," I managed to say without sounding like I was dying. Wincing slightly, I looked up to see who was about to come in to school grounds, but my mind halted for a moment.  
><em><br>Wait_.

Did they just _walk _through the _open_ gate? That was impossible. The gates were supposed to be locked at this time—I always had to climb over it whenever I wanted to leave the school at any hour later than five-thirty. My eyes instantly darted over to the metal obstruction, only to find out that the lock had been broken and was mangled.  
><em><br>What_...?

"Oh, look at what we have 'ere," a slightly slurred voice said. I stared, somewhat baffled, at the group of seven men in front of me. They all wore high school uniforms, but they didn't look the least bit familiar. If I recalled it properly, they were the uniforms that one of the neighbouring town's high school's students wore. I didn't understand why they were here at Namimori, or why they decided to come to Nami Middle of all places, but I had a bad feeling about what was going to happen.  
><em><br>Especially _since they were all drunk. The stench of alcohol clung to them like lovers, the strong scent wafting over to assault me as well. The smell made me want to gag, making me feel even sicker than I already did. It made my headache start another rampage, clearly unhappy with the horrible smell.

Instinctively, I took a few steps back to try and get far away enough to inhale fresh air again. Unfortunately, they just took steps to advance even closer to me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked them, struggling to keep my mind sharp. A flash of nervousness and fear shot through me and settled faintly in my stomach. Any other day, I wouldn't have felt this sort of apprehension for even a second—if they made the wrong move, I would've been able to easily throw them down and knocked them unconscious. However, I was acutely aware of how today was _not _like any other day, and that my body wasn't nearly as proficient as usual.

One of them, who had radically spiky black hair, laughed. He wobbled slightly on his feet, his eyes and his ears red. "Aw, she looks scared!"

"We _were _planning on doing something to the school, but..." A long-haired blond male, who had a backpack slung over his shoulder, stopped in front of me. Although he was engulfed in the stench of booze, there was no slur in his words and he looked the least trashed out of all his friends. "We can spare a few moments of our time with you."

They were going to do something to Nami Middle? My mind immediately flashed over to a certain onyx-haired skylark with breathtaking gray-blue orbs. I knew that Hibari would be absolutely furious if any harm came to the school, and he wouldn't hesitate to go hunting for these guys the next day. There would be no question as to whether or not he'd rip their heads off, looking calm and collected while he did so.

Trying to get their figures to focus in my vision, I murmured, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"And why not?" the blond inquired.

"Whaz takin' so long? Jus take 'er and lez go!" Another one in the group, this time with vivid blue highlights in his dark obsidian hair, yelped. He stretched out the last word, creating a howling sound.

"No, no, no," another one of them interrupted. He seemed to stumble at first, but he regained his equilibrium as he neared me. I began to move away, but I ended up bumping my back into one of their chests. "We've gotta enjoy this, yeah?!"

They had surrounded me. Although they weren't all burly and muscular, each and every single one of the men towered over me. They were even taller than Yamamoto, and by _at least _half a head. They blocked out a lot of my vision, not allowing me to assess my surroundings to conjure up a plan of escape. I knew that if it came down to it, I wouldn't be able to physically overpower these guys.

I had to get out of this situation somehow. _Now_.

"Hey, you're not even listening to me," the blond one complained. Somewhat startled, I turned to look at him just as he reached out and grabbed a strand of my hair. "I asked you why you don't think it's a good idea that we're here."

Shaking my head and trying to ignore the way the entire world seemed to spin, I said, "Please leave."

A few of them hooted with laughter. "Did you just hear what she said?" A brunette guffawed, clutching as his stomach. Looking at me with his dark, glazed eyes, he asked, "And what if we don't?"

"What, do you think we're scared of you?" The blond one chuckled in amusement, continuing to play with my hair. I tried to pull the long gold tress back and out of his hand, but his other hand shot out to grip my wrist. His eyes shone with entertainment as he looked at the stiff expression on my face.

"That's not it," I retorted. I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying to keep my mind functioning accurately. Even in such a dire situation, my body was still not working the way I wanted it to.

"Then what is it?" the blond challenged, quirking an arched eyebrow at me. His deep voice seemed naturally hoarse, and judging by the way the scent of smoke and cigarettes was weaved into him, I knew that he did more than just drink.

Despite the state that I was in, I still wondered whether or not these guys were idiots. Surely, they knew about the leader of the Disciplinary Committee and how ruthless he was. It was unusual for anyone in the surrounding area to not know Hibari's name. "A... _student _here will get extremely angry if you do so."

The blonde's dark olive eyes narrowed into a menacing glower. His grip on my wrist tightened, but I didn't squirm. I had learned that showing any sign of discomfort was just showing the enemy that you were weak. "What, are you talking about Hibari Kyoya?" he scoffed in disbelief as his friends burst into laughter again. "We're not scared of him. In fact, we're here to ruin his precious school as _payback _for what he did to us the last time we were in town."

So they _had _heard of Hibari. The urge to question their sanity invaded me instantly. The question was sitting on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it down. I knew that it would just set them off more than it already did, and that was the last thing that I wanted. Yet, despite this, I still somehow found myself shaking my head at them. "You can't ruin the school."

"And why not?" The blond seemed amused.

"There's no way that I'm going to let you do what you want." The words slipped out of my mouth without even going through the filter in my mind. The second they left me, I _nearly _regretted it. Nearly. But I knew that if I didn't do all that I could to stop them from vandalizing the school, I would only feel even more remorse later on.

The brunette pulled at my hair teasingly, looking like he was having a ton of fun. "Do you seriously think that you can stop us?"

"I won't know unless I try." My chin was lifted upward in defiance, but on the inside, a tornado of worry was whirling inside of me. The chances of me being able to beat these guys were extremely slim. I wasn't even moving, but I felt wobbly. How was I supposed to land a decent punch when I could hardly walk correctly?

"This is interesting," the blonde told me. In a swift, forceful movement, he jerked me closer to him. Letting go of the section of hair he had been fiddling with, but still maintaining an extremely concrete grasp on my wrist, he bent down at the waist so that we were at closer eye-level than before. Stretching his free arm out, he rested it along my shoulder. "Why is the school so important to _you_?"

A million answers raced through my mind, but the image of the prefect kept popping up. I knew that, while I would have done the same thing even if it was another school or any other place, part of the reason why I wanted to protect Nami Middle so much was because I knew that Hibari treasured the place. He—who never seemed to let anything get attached to him or allow himself to feel connected to another—for whatever reason, wanted to defend Nami Middle.

And it was because of this that I wanted to protect it, too.

I settled for saying, "It's none of your concern."

"Oh, but it is," the blond objected. With a sinister grin stretching along his face, he whispered, "How far would you go to protect this school of yours?"

My eyes were as steady as they possibly could be as I stared unwaveringly into his dark lime eyes. "Are you leaving or not?"

He threw his head back and laughed, but it didn't have any hints of humour in it at all. Not looking at me anymore, he addressed his friends. "Hey, guys, let's have some fun today!"

The group of men cheered, and without waiting for another prompt, began to lunge at me with their arms outstretched.

Adrenaline shot through me. For just a moment, I felt like my body would listen to me. Ripping my wrist away from the blonde's grip, I managed to duck underneath the arm of the student who had highlighted blue hair. Yet, much to my dismay, the pounding of my headache only disappeared for a second. I felt it coming back on again, but refusing to give up that easily, I gritted my teeth to block out the pain in my head. Forcing my body to move, I grabbed his outstretched arm and, using all the strength that I could muster, threw him onto the floor.

A startled silence followed after, but it didn't last long. The shock on their faces eventually melted into anger and irritation. They seemed even more determined to restrain me than before. I supposed that, since they were intoxicated, they weren't as easily shaken. I had been hoping that they would be too scared to do anything else, but clearly, I was wrong.

Another pang of excruciating pain slapped my brain, causing my vision to blur even more than it already did. Before I could regain myself, they had already pushed me onto the floor. My eyes shut as my mind felt like it had just gotten cracked, my ears ringing. I knew that the fall was supposed to hurt, even just slightly, but the ache in my mind dominated over all my other senses.

When I opened my eyes again, the blond man's face was hanging over mine, his hair creating a curtain around us. His body hovered above mine, his eyes glinting in a predatory way that seemed so different from Hibari's. His hands were gripping my wrists while something else was holding my legs down at my ankles. I didn't need to look to see that it was his friends.

"Scared?" he asked me. The feral look in his eyes told me the answer he wanted to hear.

"No," I lied. Unfortunately, the slight tremor in my voice conveyed something entirely different. It had been a long time since I felt so utterly helpless, and to a mere human, no less. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest, but even when I tried struggling, his grip only tightened. There wasn't anything that I could do besides scream, but from the way he was looking at me, I knew that if he heard even a peep slip out of my mouth that sounded anything remotely like a scream, he wouldn't hesitate to do worse than he initially intended.

Black spots began to splatter across my vision, blocking out part of his face and my surroundings. Breathing was difficult, but keeping myself conscious was even harder. I knew that it wasn't anything that the group of high-school students had done, nor was I so afraid that I was fainting. It was the effect of Masaru's poison, I was sure of it.

Everything he was saying to me didn't register in my mind. I saw his lips moving, but no sound seemed to come out. He began to lean in closer, but as his head breached the ten-centimeter line away from mine, his face suddenly disappeared. The weight that he had been using on me disappeared, and so were the restrictions on my arms and legs.

Struggling to stay awake, I tried to push myself into an upright sitting position. A figure stopped in front of me, and through my blurred vision, I was able to decipher the onyx locks of hair, the black jacket with an armband on an unworn sleeve, and the stunningly cold eyes of a skylark.

"H-Hibari?" I squinted slightly, my voice barely audible. Any strength that I had left in me seemed to evaporate, and I knew that I wouldn't be staying conscious for much longer. Relief flooded through my entire body since I knew that he was here.

His silky baritone voice pierced through the throbbing buzz of my mind. "Pathetic herbivores should stay down."

Somehow, I had enough strength to laugh faintly at what he said. Unable to contain it, a smile stretched across my face as I looked up at him through my distorted sight. My stomach unclenched, the panic and fear immediately subsiding.

The last thing that I said before I blacked out was a simple, "Thank you, Hibari."

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><p><strong>AN: **

And that concludes the twelfth chapter! I COULDN'T RESIST. I JUST HADDD TO HAVE HIBARI SAVE HER. ASDFGHJKL. And even though I'm the author, I feel quite bad for Azumi. She keeps blacking out everywhere. But at least she's lucky enough to have people around to catch her, right? ;D

I apologize for any OCCness, spelling errors, or grammar mistakes in this chapter! And dear lord, I REALLY hope there was no OCC.

LOTS OF LOVE AND THANKS TO;

**AkainoHotaru, Lady Syndra, 10th Squad 3rd Seat, Yukari-chan s2, Guest, Nomurai, Kiriari, Ariana, Fallaby Z, tomaranai, and **

Thank you guys so much for your encouraging reviews and for your support! (:

Also, thanks a lot to those of you who alerted and favourited as well!

And, like usual... RESPONSES!

To **AkainoHotaru**;

Pfft, you don't need to say thanks for that! Rather, thank you for reading (: I'm glad that you think she's new and refreshing, though I'm surprised to hear that! xD I didn't think that those words would be associated with her. I'm surprised that you like that about her; I think it's a really typical trait among heroines and I'm worried that people find it irritating. OTL. I'm glad you disagree, though! (: Aaaaah, well, I think that a lot of her flaws have been yet to be revealed. -SLAPPED-  
>Prince of Tennis... Fuji... I haven't watched that or read it, so I'm not quite sure who you're talking about, BUTTT! I shall ask my friend about it.<br>I'm glad that you like her interactions with Hibari; those scenes are probably the most frustrating, but also the most fun, to write about. HAHA.  
>Thank you so much for your lovely, insightful review! I hope to hear from you more often, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! (:<p>

To **Yukari-chan s2**;

I'm glad! I was really worried about keeping Yamamoto and Gokudera in character. I find it difficult, though I'm not sure why. ASDFGHJKL.  
>I'm happy that you're able to relate with her! I probably would have done the same thing as well.<br>AWW. Thank you for not threatening to poke my eyes out if I don't update quickly (not that anyone's done that. Yet.)! But since I'm going to have more spare time now, I'll try my best to write and update more often! Your compliments flatter me. ;_;  
>Thank you for your faithfulness and for your lovely reviews! I look forward to hearing from you again, and I hope that you liked this chapter! ;D<p>

To **Ariana**;

ENDING THIS? PFFT, NO WAY! I'm going to finish this story, no matter what it takes. LOL. You don't need to worry about me abandoning it! I'm glad that you like it so much, though. -grins-  
>Thank you for your review! I hope that you liked this chapter (although Hibari only showed up at the end. OTL)<p>

To **Fallaby Z**;

AHMYGOD. YOU. YOUUUU! I LOVE WHAT YOU CALLED ME. LOL. I KNOW THIS IS COMPLETELY RANDOM, BUT. ASDFGHJKL. I don't know. When I read your review and you called me, "ExS" I was like, "DANGGG, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN CALLED THAT! I LIKE IT!" It was like something had sparked inside me. So thank you. -grins- But aside from that...  
>LOL. I'm glad you're honest with me! I'm so elated to know that you actually enjoy this fanfic, opposed to your initial reaction to it. I'm not really sure what it means to be a cookie-cutter badass girl-power OC, though... LOL. I MEAN, IS THAT A GOOD THING? -SLAPPED- Well, you have absolutely no idea how happy I am to know that you think it's awesome. ;D That kind of puts pressure on me to make it even more awesome later on, though. HAHA. I'll try my best not to disappoint you, though! =P<br>Argh, I know what you mean. I hate it when a canon character and an OC fall in love so quickly. Especially characters like Hibari. I just don't- HOW? It irks me too, so I try my best to take it slow. Some of my readers that also read my other fanfics might say that I drag it on a bit TOO long, though... -DIES-  
>NO, DON'T HARM YOUR IPADDD! I finally updated, so I hope that you like it! SPARE THE POOR IPAD. I hope that you're not going to try and destroy it once you finish reading this response. LOL.<br>Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! And the awesome nickname you gave me. HAHA. I hope to hear from you more often, and I also hope that you thought this chapter was pretty awesome, too! (:

END OF RESPONSES.

YES. So that's the end. I think that a lot of things got fixed; the review thingy is, and so is the italics thing. Or, well, I THINK it's fixed? Hmm. xD

I really don't know what to say except for the fact that I'm hoping you all liked this chapter? And that you'll tell me your thoughts on it? xD

Love it, like it, hate it. Feel free to tell me your thoughts!

I'll try to update more frequently, but I'm not sure how that will work out. xD Nonetheless, look forward to the next update, guys! (:

Drop my a review or PM me; WE CAN BE BEST FRIENDS. ;D

Until next time!

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	13. Tick Tock

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! All rights go to Amano Akira.**

**A/N:**

-laughs sheepishly- W-Well... It's been over a month. By a lot. I'M SORRY. OTL.

School's kicking me in the ass relentlessly. I mean it. If I was a pro at math, I wouldn't have such devastating problems. It wouldn't lead to a chain reaction in me sucking in physics and chem, then BAM, problems solved!

Unfortunately, math is my worst subject. Leading to my downfall in two other subjects. -CRIES RIVERS-

Sorry that this update is slow! I'll try hard to squeeze in some time to write, but I can't make any promises! I'll still try to update every month, though. Some updates might take longer, but I hope that you guys will continue to stay faithful!

Thank you guys for your patience! (:

I also changed the summary... Again. I think that I'll be doing it often until I find one that I REALLY like. xD

I hope you guys like this chapterrrrrrr!

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER THIRTEEN;<strong>

_"Tick Tock"_

* * *

><p>Blearily blinking my eyes open, the first thing that I noticed was that the light of the room was too bright. The thin blanket that was enclosing me was too heavy for comfort, the heat of summer seeming to be at a boiling point. The breathing in the room seemed too loud to just be mere exhales and inhales.<p>

"Azumi."

I almost winced at the sound of my name. It was so _thunderous_. "Reborn," I greeted quietly. "Why... are you yelling at me?" I lifted a hand to rub my eyes, but found that despite the little effort that I used, I seemed to be putting too much pressure. My movements were also jerky and choppy rather than smooth and easily executed. My eyebrows furrowed together, and I began to push myself up into a sitting position, only to feel that my entire body was incredibly stiff and sore. I looked over to the side where the small, suit-clad Arcobaleno sat cross-legged with a grim expression on his face.

"I wasn't yelling," he stated.

"You're... not?" I shifted slightly, and upon feeling something brush along my bare arms, I jumped. Whirling around to look at what it had been, I came face to face with mere air. My eyes hastily darted all around the room for anything that might have caused that sensation, but as the same feeling assaulted the back of my hand, I realized that it was just the strands of my hair.

What was going on? My heart was beating frantically in my chest.

"_This _is yelling!" Reborn raised his voice to the point where I felt like my eardrums would burst. I instantly clamped my hands down onto my ears, trying to block out the rest of his words. I curled into myself a bit, flinching at how much it hurt my ears. His high voiced sounded like a deafening shrill as it continued to reverberate inside my mind. The headache that I had earlier was gone, and so was the dizziness. I felt absolutely fine except for the hyperawareness that I had for everything around me.

Realizing that it only meant one thing, I twisted around to look at Reborn with wide eyes. Slowly taking my hands away from my ears, I asked him, "It's... been a day since I've passed out, hasn't it?"

There was something in Reborn's onyx eyes that made me feel like he was prying me apart from the inside out. "Mhmm. Today's Saturday, so you don't have school. Mama's out grocery shopping for lunch right now. You skipped out on breakfast, Azumi."

"Is that so?" I murmured, my mind whirling. It felt so amazing to be able to think coherently. Now that I no longer felt like I had to rip my brain out to survive, I felt much more content. It was a feeling that was short-lived, however, as I realized what that meant.

The fifth day had already begun.

I wracked my brain for what Masaru had told me during our battle. The confident, haughty man hadn't been lying to me so far about the symptoms that would occur each day, and after four days of correct warnings, I wasn't going to brush off what he had said. At this point, I highly doubted he had started lying halfway through. When I recollected what he had said about the fifth day, everything that I felt at the moment seemed to click into place.

Soreness. Stiffness. Sensitivity to everything by ten times.

Shutting my eyes, I ran a hand through my hair. No wonder I felt like the bright light in Tsuna's room was acting as the sun and trying to burn my eyes. No matter what, though, I felt like this was infinitely better than yesterday, when I hadn't been able to even walk without feeling as if I was about to fall over.

"How did I get back here yesterday?" I asked Reborn curiously. Although my mind and eyesight had been in a mess at that time, I still remembered very clearly a certain Disciplinary Committee leader coming to my aid. Just thinking about it had a smile involuntarily stretching across my lips.

"You're lucky that I had been on a walk at that time," Reborn retorted, folding his small arms across his chest. "Originally, I was going to have Hibari carry you home, but he was stubborn and wouldn't do it. So in the end, he stayed with you until I got No-Good Tsuna to come. Yamamoto and Gokudera ended up tagging along, and Yamamoto was the one who offered to carry you back home since Tsuna's absolutely no good."

Somehow, I wasn't surprised at the fact that Hibari refused to carry me back home, but I _was _faintly shocked to hear that he had actually stayed with me until Tsuna and the rest of the gang came to help. The surprise that I felt faded quickly though, because I already knew that Hibari wasn't a completely heartless and ruthless person like how people made him out to be. Happiness swelled up inside me the more that I thought about it—he was definitely a caring person underneath his tough exterior.

I was sure of it.

"I owe everyone a ton," I pondered aloud. Grinning at Reborn, I told him sincerely, "Thanks so much for getting Tsuna and them for me."

He waved my gratitude off with just a single stern expression. "More importantly, what happened yesterday? The people that Hibari saved you from were regular students, Azumi." I expected something like disappointment or disapproval to be coating his voice, but there wasn't a single trace of that. In fact, there was nothing in the tone of Reborn's voice at all. Blank and flat was all that there was to the infant's voice as he spoke to me, something that automatically had my eyebrows knitting together even closer.

My body tensed imperceptibly at his words. When my sapphire eyes glided over to meet his obsidian ones, I already knew that I was caught. Always perspective and observant about even the smallest of things, Reborn was already onto me. He knew that something wasn't right. The problem was that I didn't know _how much _he truly knew.

"I..." I paused, hesitating for a moment. It was probably safe to just assume that he didn't know anything. That way, if he actually wasn't on the right track, then I wouldn't be giving myself away. The very moment that these thoughts entered my mind, I felt guilt eating away at me. I felt disappointed in myself, especially after what Gokudera had said before. Not only that, but Reborn represented an uncle figure to me, if not a father one. I felt horrible for lying to him, but I still found myself going so. "I was just caught off-guard."

Reborn spoke the very second I ended my sentence. "It's best not to lie to me, Azumi." The hard look he gave me told me everything that I needed to know. My hands clenched into fists, my teeth falling down to bite onto my lower lip. Silence enveloped us for a long moment as our eyes remained locked on each other's. The only sound in the room was our breathing and the ticking of the clock, both of which seemed to be as loud as firing canons.

Turmoil continued inside of me. There had been a warning note to his voice as he said that phrase—from my experience with Reborn, that meant he probably already knew what was going on. It was best to just come clean and confess what had truly occurred, but for some reason, I was still hesitant about it. However, as the seconds continued to tick by, I realized that the only reason I was so reluctant to reveal the truth was because I didn't want to get another round of scolding. My cheek was still somewhat tender from all the slaps that Reborn had given me a few days ago, and I didn't want to experience that again.

But I knew that the amount of pain Reborn's slaps were couldn't even amount to other things that I had gone through.  
><em><br>So what exactly was I so afraid of?_

After a long moment of quiet, I broke eye contact with the Sun Arcobaleno first. Preparing myself to tell him about it, I inhaled deeply and stared down at my clasped hands. "I... Reborn..." My voice faltered and trailed off for a moment as I tried to gather enough courage to simply get the words out of my mouth. "I'm..."

"What is it? Spit it out, Azumi. I don't have all day, you know," Reborn prompted. Despite his words, I knew that he was just trying to encourage me. He was trying to give me that extra push that I needed in order to be honest with him. If I hadn't been with him for so long, I wouldn't have been able to realize this.

"In that battle with Masaru... He—his weapons aren't as simple as what I said," I fumbled over my words, changing my sentence halfway through. I closed my eyes, expecting some sort of pain to explode along my body or for one of Reborn's hard-hitting lectures. But after a few heartbeats and nothing transpired, I cracked open my eyes in bewilderment.

Reborn hadn't moved an inch from where he sat. When he saw my puzzled look, he informed me bluntly, "If I throttle you now, I won't be able to hear the next thing you have to say."

Already knowing the information that he wanted, I turned to look out the window as I murmured, "It's poison."  
><em><br>"What_?"

Startled, my head whipped over to the door so quickly that I could've sworn that I nearly got whiplash. My eyes were wide and horrified as I stared at the people at the door. Their expressions mirrored mine, a stunned silence following shortly afterward. I didn't know what to say as I stared at Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei like I was a deer caught in headlights.

Reborn had horrible timing to speak about things, or had this all been intentional? Knowing the Arcobaleno, he had probably scheduled their entrance so that they would all catch it. This way, I wouldn't be able to get out of the conversation.

I wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere and disappear.

Tsuna was the one that broke the thick silence. "Azumi... what did you say?" His voice was quiet, but not with anger. Rather, it was laced with disbelief and incredulity. There was something in his eyes that told me he wanted me to tell him I was joking, and that he had heard wrong. Yet, looking at him and then to the faces of the Guardians who I considered my friends, my Family, I couldn't bring myself to lie straight through my teeth.

"I'm sorry." My voice shook just slightly as my dark ocean eyes clashed with Tsuna's warm walnut ones. "Even though I should've said something..." I shook my head again. "I'm so sorry."

Gokudera was the one who detonated first, though I wasn't surprised. Livid, he marched right past Tsuna and into the room, stopping when he was right in front of me. Upon reaching me, he gripped the front of my shirt menacingly, his beautiful emerald eyes turning into solid jade. "Even after all I said! Did you even hear a _single word_ that I said to you that day? _Did you?!_"

Despite already anticipating this reaction, I still couldn't keep the feelings of shame from tingling through my entire system. "I'm sorry."

"Do you think that apologizing fixes _anything_?" Gokudera made an extremely good point. He and I both knew that just because I said sorry, it didn't change anything. It didn't reverse the fact that I had lied to them and betrayed their trust in me once again. Saying sorry didn't stop the hurt of being lied to another time.

And because I knew this, I could only remain silent. I knew that if I apologized again, it would only make things worse. Gokudera's eyes were fixated sharply on my face, scrutinizing me like he was trying to figure something out.

I couldn't meet his gaze.

"Oi, oi, Octopus-head!" Ryohei was the second one to come out of the stupor he had been in, but I supposed that it was because he hadn't been there on the night I got saved from Masaru. He didn't quite understand how everything between Gokudera and I seemed so fragile, so easily broken. "What are you doing? Let her go! You can't treat a woman like that, to the extreme!"

"Shut up, Lawn-head!" Gokudera shot back fiercely. "Stay out of this."

"No. To the extreme." Ryohei stood his ground firmly, a scowl playing along his features lightly. He placed a hand over Gokudera's, repeating, "You can't treat women like this."

Shaking my head, I looked at the boxer sadly. "It's okay, Ryohei. Gokudera has every right to be angry."

"That doesn't mean he can do this to you!" Ryohei protested. "Aren't you a man, Octopus-head?!"

"That has nothing to do with it, you idiot," came Gokudera's biting response.

"... Gokudera-kun." Tsuna's voice was soft and very quiet in the loud, agitation-filled room. But even so, everyone heard him almost as if he had shouted. All eyes darted over to the Vongola's Tenth Boss, whose voice was adorned with solemnity that matched his expression. "Can you please... let Azumi go?"

It was precisely because of this that I felt even worse than dirt beneath his shoes. It was because Tsuna was too kind. He was soft, gentle. Forgiving to the point where people would consider him naive, but it was one of the strongest and most endearing traits about him. I didn't understand how he was able to seem so calm about this. I'd never expect him to allow Gokudera to beat me up, but I _wanted _him to allow it to happen. For once, I wanted Tsuna to seem harsh, less angelic. I wanted him to do something worse than what I did to him. Yet, knowing Tsuna, that would never happen.

"But Tenth—"

"The poison," Tsuna murmured. He glanced away for a moment, his hair shadowing his eyes. Just as fast as he looked away, though, he turned back to stare at us with a strong ignition of resolution in his chestnut orbs. "I want to hear about that. It's what's most important right now."

Gokudera hesitated for a brief moment, staring at Tsuna almost as if he didn't believe what the spiky-haired Boss was saying. After discerning the fact that Tsuna meant what he said, the dynamite-user's grip on my shirt loosened. Ryohei, seeing this chance, gently pushed the jade-eyed Guardian's arm back to his side.

I rubbed at the back of my neck, trying to relieve the ache that had been created when the collar of my shirt dug into my skin. It didn't hurt too much, but it was enough to make me feel uncomfortable.

Tsuna made a move to sit, and the rest of them followed. When they had all settled down, Reborn told me, "Tsuna and them have no clue whatsoever about your condition. Best to start from the top."

"You know?" I asked him, catching onto his words. I wasn't quite sure how to feel at that moment—confused, incredulous, relieved, ashamed, or... what? I was feeling so many things that I couldn't even decipher all of them. I didn't know that so many emotions could be rising inside of me all at once.

"Of course," Reborn responded. His tone of voice suggested that it was no big deal.

"How did you—"

"Can you ask your stupid questions _after _telling the rest of us what the hell is wrong with you?" Gokudera interrupted me, evidently still livid at the fact I had kept another large secret from them. His expression was contorted into a deep, dark scowl, his arms folded tightly across his chest. His eyes were hard and glacial as he looked at me, his tone no better. Even though I knew that some people would immediately get angry in defense as an instinct, I couldn't even bring myself to do that. I could only feel guilty and sorrowful.

Following Gokudera's suggestion, I began, "Masaru's weapons... They're all coated with different kinds of poison with different effects. The problem doesn't lie in the fact that he used his poison-coated weapons on me, though. It's the poison that he had leaked into the entire building before I entered it. I... I had absolutely no idea that I had been walking into a base full of poisonous gas. I thought that I was still functioning normally... that I was okay."

"The poison that was leaked into the base?" Tsuna repeated, sounding perplexed. His eyebrows furrowed together as he looked at me, piecing two parts of the story together. "But we went into the base to get you. Does this mean that we're also—?"

I shook my head, stopping him from speaking any further. "Masaru said that the poison had been contained after I had entered the building and inhaled enough of it."

"Are you stupid?" Gokudera's expression told me he truly believed I was a moron and that he was questioning how I even survived up until now. "There's something called _lying_ in this world. From my personal experience, you should be extremely friendly with it." The last jab was _meant_ to hurt, and I knew it.

Unable to withstand the intensity of Gokudera's accusing eyes, I shifted my eyes away. "Everything he told me about his poison has been true so far, so I don't think that he's lying when he said that you guys would be free of the poison."

"And you _believe _him?" Gokudera sounded incredulous.

At the same time that Gokudera spoke, so did Tsuna. "What... What did he say about the poison?" The two of them looked at each other upon realizing that their words overlapped the other's, and after apologizing to each other, they shared faint, upward tilts of the lips before turning back towards me.

"I _do _believe that you guys aren't poisoned," I confirmed quietly. "Unless you guys have these—" I was about to pull up the long sleeves of my t-shirt, which fell to my elbows, up to my shoulder, but I realized that I didn't have to. I shouldn't have been surprised at how far the pale ocean marks had spread. I was nearing the deadline, after all. The petal-like stains on my skin had already made it a bit past my elbow, encroaching onto my forearms. Pushing my sleeve up a bit more so that they could see, I repeated, "Unless you guys have some sort of marking on your skin like I do, then you guys aren't poisoned."

"What _are _those?" Gokudera's lips thinned as he scowled fiercely at the designs on my skin. If I thought he looked unhappy earlier, he looked even more displeased now.

"How did we not notice those...?" Tsuna's voice was a horrified, self-blaming whisper. He seemed to be asking himself more than anyone else.

"I hid them," I reminded him. He looked up at me with unconvinced features. "I didn't want anyone to see, so that's why I did everything that I could to hide them... It's not your fault that you didn't notice, Tsuna. Please don't look at me like that."

He seemed to be so internally conflicted. Shaking his head, he muttered, "_Something _should have given you away. I should have known that something was seriously wrong when you started skipping class. You also acted strange yesterday. I noticed, but I just—I didn't..." he trailed off, his voice turning into one that sounded so tortured by his own heavy emotions.

"You're right, No-Good Tsuna." Reborn spoke the complete opposite of comforting words. Instead, he seemed to agree wholeheartedly with his student on the issue. "You should have noticed right away that something wasn't right with Azumi. How can you consider yourself the Tenth Boss? You need to take better care of your comrades and your Family. Don't you know _anything_?"

Shaking my head, I had to disagree with Reborn. He was being unnecessarily tough on my childhood friend. Being able to take care of one's comrades and be aware of everyone's sentiments were both qualities that a Boss definitely needed to have, and I believed that Tsuna _did _possess them. And I knew that Reborn was aware of it as well.

I gave Tsuna a stern look and said firmly, "It wasn't your fault. Varia members are good at hiding things. It's what we're trained to do."

Yamamoto spoke for the first time during this discussion. Looking at me with knotted eyebrows, he stopped the debate about whether or not it was Tsuna's fault. "Does it hurt?"

Somewhat startled upon hearing his smooth voice, I jolted just a bit before turning to face him. "The marks?" After he nodded his head, I gave a small laugh. "No. It's not the marks that hurt."

"...Then what _does_?" The baseball prodigy's usual cheer had diminished, leaving only sombrely-pulled eyebrows over scrutinizing eyes. I found it strange how he seemed to blend in so easily with the heavy atmosphere—I'd always felt that Yamamoto would only suit happy and cheerful moods. Everything about him suggested he was meant to be happy-go-lucky. He was blithe, joyful. Seeing him so grim automatically stirred uneasiness inside me, because it made me realize just how significant this was to everyone.

"I... don't know," I confessed after a moment. Before Gokudera could insult me, I quickly explained, "The first three days have just been marks. Yesterday, my head felt like it was going to explode, and my body felt like it had been drained of energy—that's why I couldn't do anything to those guys yesterday, Reborn."

Tsuna looked almost too scared to ask. "And... what about today?"

"What about tomorrow? And the day after?" Gokudera added, his eyebrows pulled tightly together over his stern eyes. His jaw was clamped shut, set tightly.

"My body is oversensitive to everything today," I informed them lightly. "It's not that bad. Everything just seems... amplified. This blanket feels heavier, the light seems too bright, and I feel like I'm living in an oven. But as long as I don't do anything stupid, then I should be fine. And as for tomorrow..." I trailed off, my ears ringing with the words Masaru's voice had spoken.

"And as for tomorrow...?" Yamamoto encouraged.

Shaking my head again, I mumbled, "I don't know."

Gokudera scoffed, turning his head away. "What _do _you know?"

"I don't know what will happen," I clarified. I didn't even want to imagine everything that could happen to me. There were so many different scenarios playing inside of my head, and none of them were pretty at all. "All I know is that it'll hurt. He said that it'd be painful. Really painful."

For another moment, silence sat between all of us as I let my words sink in. The air in the room seemed to weigh more as it rested on our shoulders. Any sunlight that shone in through the window probably would've dimmed instantly upon meeting with the atmosphere inside.

Incapable of meeting any of their eyes, I stared down at my hands as I played around with my fingers. They all seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. I knew what they were all thinking—what they could do to help, what could be done, what could have happened differently if they had done something else. It was just how they all worked—they were scarily benevolent. They blamed themselves often for things that were out of their control.  
>I knew that feeling so well.<p>

Surprisingly, it was Ryohei who broke the silence. Swiftly getting up to stand on his feet, he slammed his fist into his open palm, creating a thunderous sound that echoed off the walls. I flinched instantly as the noise continued to resound through my ears, but as much as I wanted to plug my ears shut in a futile attempt to drown out the noise, I wanted to hear what the silver-haired boxer had to say.

"Why are we all sitting here? We should be spending all our time on making an antidote! If we all work hard to the extreme, then I'm sure we can—"

"Impossible," the small infant interrupted. Nothing on Reborn's expression gave away his thoughts or his feelings. His poker-face was unbreakable. Seeing that the rest of the gang was about to protest, Reborn quickly, but calmly, thwarted whatever they were going to say. "If Azumi's been searching for the past few days and haven't figured it out yet, then the rest of you will be just as useless."

"But we won't know if we don't try!" Tsuna immediately objected, his hands tightening into fists. He stared down at Reborn with a cross between helplessness and determination playing across his soft features.

The Sun Arcobaleno ignored the upcoming Vongola Boss. "And if you think that skipping classes is okay even for such a reason, Azumi, then think again." I knew that it was coming, but a part of me had been hoping he'd go easy on me. I wanted to sigh—Reborn's morals and discipline were so concrete and absolute, it was unreal.

But that was why he was the best tutor that anyone could ever ask for.

Somehow, I managed to smile slightly at his words. I supposed that having him treat me as he always did was a lot better than having him treat me as someone who'd break at any moment. If that were the case, I really wouldn't know how to act around him. I felt like that by treating me the same, Reborn was reassuring me that everything would be okay. That nothing would change, because nothing would happen to me.

And although my stomach still twisted into knots in anxiety, I believed him.

"This isn't the time to be saying things like that, Reborn! Azumi—"

"It's okay, Tsuna," I cut him off softly. His head snapped over to look over at me with wide, incredulous eyes, but I merely smiled brightly at him in response. I didn't want an argument to break out between Reborn and Tsuna—especially not one that occurred over me—because they were so close. Their bond was so strong, but it somehow seemed so delicate, too. Before he could say anymore, I asked Reborn, "When is Bianchi coming back?"

"Bianchi's really busy." Reborn's eyes were steady as they met mine. "She won't be back until the day after tomorrow."

I sucked in a sharp breath. Time seemed to slow down for a moment as his words seeped into my brain. Panic and alarm began to ease themselves into my system in an unhurried, but sturdy rhythm.

"The day after tomorrow?" I repeated, my voice sounding strained as I forced neutrality. "Is there any way she can be back earlier?"

"She can't just drop everything to come here and tend to you," Reborn retorted, his arms still folded across his chest.

"Why?" Tsuna's voice held dread, just like my entire body. "Is that... a bad thing?"

My eyes were wider than usual as I met Tsuna's walnut orbs. What was I supposed to say? How was I possibly going to tell them all that by then, it's supposed to be too late? A part of me was urging me to lie, to tell them something—anything—except that the seventh day would be the day it'd end. Another part of me was screaming at me to just spit it out, to confess—I had lied to them enough already. Every time I fabricated something, it would only hurt them more, cut them deeper, before I died.  
><em><br>I'm not going to die, _I corrected myself firmly. _I'm not going to die. I won't. _

"Argh!" Ryohei exclaimed, having already sat back down after Reborn shut down his idea. He ran his hands through this cropped hair roughly and then placed them on his knees, leaning forward. "I can't stand this silence! I need to know, to the extreme!"

"What _is _it?" Gokudera seemed to agree with Ryohei. His eyes looked sharper, colder, more piercing than I had ever seen them before. "Just say it! The suspense is killing everyone here."

Tsuna's voice was barely audible. It sounded appalled. "D-Don't tell me it's—"

"It... The poison's supposed to kill within seven days." My eyes were fixated on the backs of my fisted hands. I stared at them like they were the most fascinating things in the world, my eyes unblinking. They were frozen open.

I had to somehow make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. I knew that if I lost myself in despair or panic right now, then so would they. I had to seem calm. I needed to make it seem like I knew what I was doing. And in a way, I sort of did. Just sort of.

Quickly, before anyone could say anything, I looked up at them squarely. I tried not to let my uncertainty show on my face and in my voice as I hastily reassured them, "It's okay! There's no guarantee that everyone dies within that time. Bianchi will be back on the seventh day, right? Then that just means I need to hang on until she's back. I'm pretty tough, you know—I don't die _that _easily."

"How can you say that?" Tsuna's voice was decorated with agitation. He was clearly upset as he continued, "Your life is on the line! We can't just sit around and wait until the last day for Bianchi-san to come back!"

Seeing how serious Tsuna was, I couldn't help but smile as I listened to his small outburst. Chuckling, I reminded him, "My life is _always _on the line, Tsuna. I'm a Varia member, remember? It'll be fine. I know I can hang on until Bianchi gets back."

"Even _if _she gets back before you're a corpse, what makes you think that she can actually cure you?" Gokudera didn't sound or look convinced that his older sister would be able to come up with a solution to my dilemma.

"I have faith in Bianchi," I said honestly. Grinning, I teased lightly, "You should know just how well she works with poison, right, Gokudera?"

Immediately, his ivory skin seemed to pale a bit more, also taking on a greenish tint. Just the mere thought of his sister's cooking seemed to make Gokudera a bit weaker than usual, but he still managed to shoot out, "L-Let's not get into that."

Chortling at his reaction, I could only offer them another smile. "I _do _believe in Bianchi, and you guys should, too. Believe in me. I can pull through. Three days from now, we'll all go out for ice cream together. All of us."

Something about me seemed to make their words die in their throat. They all continued staring at me carefully for a moment, all their eyes misted over with sombreness. After a while, they shared uneasy glances with each other, not quite knowing what to say or what to do. But luckily, we were all saved from what the other would've said as Nana's voice from downstairs hollered at us, informing everyone that lunch was ready. We all jumped just slightly, surprised at the unexpected interruption that cut the tension. None of us had heard her come home, but that was to be expected, considering we had been so absorbed in our own world.

"Let's go!" I exclaimed, throwing the thin blanket off of me. Even from my own perspective, I knew that it looked awkward. It _felt _off, like my movements were robotic and not jointed. "I can't wait to see what Nana made for us today."

As I went over and opened Tsuna's closed door, a delicious aroma began wafting into the room. And while they looked hesitant and reluctant at first, the rest of the gang eventually got up from their seats on the floor, mumbling to themselves, and began to head down for lunch. I stood by the door, beaming brightly at everyone as they left.

Like I wanted, Reborn was the last one to leave.

Just as he exited the room, I murmured, "Reborn." His nearly inaudible footsteps halted, a sign that he was listening. I didn't allow myself to look at him as I stared up at the white ceiling of Tsuna's room. "I don't know when the pain will hit, but... if I somehow end up being rendered unable to move because of it... Can you please take me over to Dino's?"

A pause. "I'll see." And then his small form rounded the corner, heading down to the kitchen. I stayed rooted where I was for just a moment longer before I followed him, a heavy feeling sitting on my heart.

* * *

><p>It felt like I was being burned alive.<p>

"... water... we can't... Reborn..." I caught bits and pieces of a conversation, but I didn't know whose voice it was. All I knew was that it was a male—it sounded so familiar, so warm, but the pain that I was in just seemed to fuzz out everything. No matter how hard I tried to concentrate on something, my train of thought would break within seconds.

To be honest, I wasn't sure if I had screamed. It seemed impossible to be aware of my surroundings. I could barely hear my own thoughts—the pain that I felt was excruciating. I wasn't sure how I was still alive. I didn't know how much longer it would last, but it felt like I had been suffering in agony for an eternity.

The sensation was indescribable. It felt like I had been dunked into oil and then lit on fire. Everything burned. The fire that bathed my body eventually got to the point where it was so hot, it felt _cold_. I couldn't tell where my arms connected to my shoulders. I didn't know where my fingers were, where my legs were. I could've been stabbed in the abdomen and I would hardly have noticed it through the immense waves of pain that repeatedly fell down onto me.

Unfortunately, it wasn't only that. Adding onto the fire was the feeling of having someone dig a hand straight into my body and pull at my organs. I felt like someone was trying to rip them out, to break them and crush them.  
><em><br>It hurts, _my mind cried. _It hurts. It hurts. _Even when I blacked out from the pain, it didn't seem to help at all. The pain still managed to reach me somehow. There was absolutely no escape to it—I couldn't run, couldn't fight back. I couldn't do anything but wait helplessly for it to pass.

Sometimes, after waking up, I could feel the presence of someone in the room, or people around me. But whenever I tried to pinpoint who it was, where I was, or what was going on, I just couldn't. Anguish would hit me head-on before I could register anything in my brain. Snippets of discussion would sometimes flow into my ears, but I could never piece together anything. I couldn't think.

At one point, I was so tempted to give in. All I wanted to do was just succumb to the feeling—I didn't want to will it to stop anymore. I didn't even have enough strength to do that. I was so tired of futilely fighting back. I thought that maybe, if I was in this state long enough, I would get used to it and that would be okay.

But it was at this time that I heard voices swarming around me. Only a few words of every sentence was picked up by my ears and comprehended in my mind, but they somehow warmed me in a way that seemed to cool the pain. I didn't know how close they were to me, but I felt like I was encased inside a box of bright light. For some reason, the image of a spring meadow came to mind as their voices resounded around me.

Warmth. Encouraging words. Support. Despite feeling like I was drowning in volcanic lava, I somehow felt like I wasn't completely lost. What they all said reminded me of what I had told them—that I'd be alright. That I would hang on.

Even though it hurt, I couldn't let go.

Not yet.  
><em><br>I can survive this._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

And that signals the end of the thirteenth chapter! I know that Hibari wasn't really in it; I'm sorry! OTL.

I apologize for any grammar mistakes, spelling errors, and OOCness that occurred in this chapter! ;O

LOTS OF LOVE AND THANKS TO;

**Fallaby Z, AkainoHotaru, Lady Syndra, OneWhoWasForgotten, 10th Squad 3rd Seat, Yukari-chan s2, theaaa-chan, Astin, Nomurai, xXMizukiXx, Esther, MitsukiYume, Tea Enthusiast, Solar-BEAM, Peaches, SasaMochiiii, virkelighetsflukt, and MsHeartsformusic**

Thank you guys so much for your lovely reviews! I had to reread them a million times in order to write this chapter, and you have no idea how much I appreciate it! (:

Also, thanks a lot to everyone who favourited and alerted!

RESPONSE TIME! HERE WE GO!

To **Fallaby Z**;

Pfft, trust me. I don't mind. LOL. I love it. (:  
>I'm still not quite sure what it means to be a cookie-cutter badass girl power OC. LMAO. But I'll take your word for it! So I'm assuming Azumi isn't totally horrible? XP<br>HIBARI IS... Well. Man. I don't even know. I swear he wanted to beat her up, but she was just so pathetic, y'know? LOL. -SLAPPED- The answer to who's gonna save her is answered in this chapter! YAY! ;D  
>I hope the iPad is still alive... HAHA. Thank YOU for reading, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! (:<p>

To **OneWhoWasForgotten**;

WELCOME! LOL. And congrats on creating an account! -claps happily- (:  
>Thank you for your complimentsss. I'm glad you think that the chapter was cute. And LOL. I haven't even gotten to the romance part yet! But I'm glad that you already love them together. -DIES A BIT- I hope that you look forward to when the romance between the two starts getting intense. (;<br>Pfft, you shouldn't thank me for responding. Thank YOU for supporting me and reading my work!  
>Thank you so much for dropping me a review and telling me your thoughts! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! ;D<p>

To** xXMizukiXx**;

Nono, don't say sorry for something like that! I'm just happy to know that you're still reading this. HAHA. It's understandable that you'd miss out on a chapter or so, no big deal. There's no need to apologize or anything! xD  
>AND RIGHT? I can't imagine Hibari as a prince. Seriously. OR MAYBE I CAN. I don't even know. He'd be one of those really arrogant ones though. LOL.<br>Wellllllllll... What's up with Reborn's been answered in this question; he knew what was wrong with Azumi, but didn't want to call her out on it yet. xD  
>AWW. Thank you! I'm so glad and delighted to know that there are people who will wait for me to update despite it taking quite a while in comparison to other authors. It's a very nice feeling, and it makes me wanted to write faster. (:<br>Thank you so much for you continuous support, xXMizukiXx! I hope that you liked this chapter just as much as the last! XD

To **Tea Enthusiast**;

ASDFGHJKL. Thank you so much -CRIES RIVERS- I try my best to write with proper grammar and all. I know I instantly click the back button when I read a fanfic or a story that doesn't have proper spelling and such. HAHA. I'm glad that you think the plot is interesting, too! That's definitely a plus. (:  
>Sorry about this late update, but rest assured: I won't be giving up on this story! I'LL SEE IT THROUGH TO THE ENDDD! I hope that you'll stick with me until then! (:<br>Thank you so much for your amazingly lovely review and sharing with me your thoughts! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! (:

To **virkelighetsflukt**;

YOU LIKE LONG CHAPTERS? REALLY? I feel like they're TOO long. I mean, I've looked at some of the other fanfics in the Hibari fandom ( mostly OC ones. ) and their chapters are a lot shorter than the ones I write. I FEEL LIKE I'M BORING Y'ALL TO DEATH. I don't even- ASDFGJKL. I feel like people would rather have shorter chapters more often rather than longer chapters every month or so. You know what I mean? I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU LIKE LONG CHAPTERS, THOUGH! It makes me feel nice. -DIES-  
>I finally updated! YAY!<br>Thank you for your support, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapterrrrrrrrrr! ;D

END OF RESPONSES!

So yeah, that's the end of the chapter, guys! xD

I'M REALLY SORRY THAT IT TOOK ME SO LONG! ASDFGHJKL. School's destroying me. -sighs-

I'll try hard to update as soon as I can!

Love it, hate it, like it, _please _come share your thoughts with me!

DROP ME A REVIEW OR A PM IF YOU THINK I DESERVE; I'd really appreciate it! ( And I'll need it if I want to keep myself sane enough to write the next chapter. OTL )

Until next time!

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p>

P.S. GOOD LUCK WITH SCHOOL, GUYS! I HOPE YOU'RE ALL DOING ALRIGHT! Don't push yourselves TOO hard, and remember to take care of your health! (: s2


	14. Glass Mark

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! All rights go to Amano Akira.**

**A/N:**

ANSOEBAWEONBOAWNBOWB. IT'S BEEN A WHILE, GUYS! I apologize for the late, _late_ update, but life has been destroying me. Oh god, school. WHY? -is on knees wailing- OTL. I ACTUALLY look like that dude. All the time. -sighs-

I actually didn't think I'd be able to update today, but then I started writing like madwoman and I went absolutely crazy and ignored all my homework, and TA-DA! I'm able to present you the fourteenth chapter of "You, Who Will Never be Bound" on the **ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY!** -throws confetti-HOHOHO! Yes, m'loves, you all heard right. It's been an entire _year_ since I posted the first chapter of this story up, and I can't believe the year whipped by so fast. It honestly does _not _feel like a year.

I'm going to keep it short, sweet, and simple: **_Thank you guys so much for all your support and encouragement! I honestly wouldn't have made it this far without each and every single one of you. I honestly hope that you'll all be sticking with me and supporting me until the end of this story, and maybe even longer than that!_** _  
><em>  
>I know that some authors will go on and on and write you guys paragraphs ( I do that, actually, and I know that I should stop. LOL. ) but I've decided that this time, I'm just going to keep it short so that you don't have to read through a bunch of sappy words and cheesy phrases. I just want you guys to know that what I said about not making it this far is absolutely <em>true<em>. It's how I sincerely think.

I honestly treasure every single review, alert, and PM I get, and whenever I look at the graphs and visitor counts, I can't help but be happy and please and delighted and so, SO grateful.

So thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

So without further ado, read on! (x

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FOURTEEN;<strong>

_"Glass Mark"_

* * *

><p>Feeling as if I had been woken up from eighteen lifetimes' worth of sleep, the sounds of everything in the room filled my ears. I didn't open my eyes for a moment as I lay there listening to the beeping in the room, the drops that came at a snail's pace, the sound of my breathing. I expected to hear the melody of chirping birds and feel a soft breeze billowing in through an open window, but neither of those things happened.<p>

Cracking an eye open and then the other, I slowly sat upright on the bed that I was sleeping in. My mind was still a mess, but the fact that I was still alive meant that I had gotten past the poison, right? So Bianchi must have figured out the correct antidote, just like I knew that she would.

Unless this was a dream? My eyes widened at the thought, and I hastily pinched myself roughly on the arm, only to feel a pang of hurt immediately radiating from that spot. I let out a sigh of relief, placing a hand on my chest. I could feel the organ beating rapidly inside my ribcage, and I couldn't help but laugh at myself a bit.  
><em><br>I'm alive. _

Breathing in deeply, I stretched my arms up above me and twisted my body around slightly, ignoring the fact that the IV drip that had been attached to me had fallen out. I blinked at how _decent _I felt—there was no soreness or stiffness at all. My joints didn't ache, my muscles didn't seem like they were torn, and everything seemed to work perfectly fine.

Images of the marks that had been stamped all over my skin popped into my mind, and I pushed up the sleeves of the shirt I was wearing to look at my arms. Light, sun-kissed skin stared up at me, unblemished and untainted with pale sapphire petals. Although I had been kind of expecting them to have vanished, it still surprised me a bit to see with my own eyes that they were, in fact, truly gone. With how everything seemed, it was almost as if I hadn't gotten poisoned at all.

The boxes that held relief and happiness crashed inside of me, the two emotions breaking free and swarming through my system. Although I had been speaking about making it through the poison, there had been so many times that I felt that I couldn't make it. But the fact that I _did_, and that I was actually _alive_... I felt my lips pulling up into a wide, bright smile.

Throwing the covers off of me, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and slid off. I made sure to neaten up the mess I had made before I padded gingerly over to the closed window that had the blinds shut. The white gown that I had been dressed in was light, cool, and easy to move around in as my ghosting footsteps brought me over to the side of the room. I wiggled my toes once or twice—okay, perhaps three times—along the way because the carpet that blanketed the floor was so incredibly soft.

It was dim, not anywhere near pitch black, but I still felt slightly uneasy. The moment I pushed open the drapes, the sunlight streamed in through the glass, filling up the room with brightness. It was so blinding that I immediately squinted at first, my eyes not used to such intense brilliance, but as my ocean orbs adjusted, I grinned. It felt like it had been so long since the last time I had seen sunlight. The warmth that kissed my skin felt incredibly nice, since the room itself was very cool. It was obvious that air conditioning was in full-blast.

I had just opened up the window, inhaling a deep breath of fresh air, when I heard the door click softly. Turning around, I smiled at the Tenth Boss that had, upon seeing fact that I was awake, immediately brightened.

"You're awake!" Dino exclaimed, the delight evident in his voice. His light chocolate eyes seemed to dance as he crossed the room and pulled me into an embrace, practically crushing me to him. "Geez, you gave us all such a big scare!"

"Sorry," I apologized, returning the Chiavorone Boss' embrace. "Thank you _so _much for taking care of me all this time."

He waved it off dismissively, returning the look on my face. "There's no need to be so formal. I'm just glad that you're all better."

I grinned up at him when he let me go and asked, "How have you been? And everyone else?"

Smiling faintly, he rolled his eyes at me. "Should've known that you'd ask that. We're all fine—except for worrying over you, of course. Tsuna and the rest of the Vongola are at school right now, in case you're wondering why they're not here. They'll be coming shortly though, since classes are almost over. They've been visiting practically every day, you know."

My heart swelled with warmth upon hearing that. It made me feel like I _mattered_. Sometimes I wondered if I belonged in the mafia world if everything was taken into account, and I often found myself believing that I wasn't. There were so many times I found myself regretting letting myself get caught up in this underground mess. Yet I felt like it was these brief moments that made the more treacherous days worth it—knowing that I had comrades waiting for me, depending on me, relying on me. Knowing that I was part of something bigger and better. With Tsuna the upcoming Boss, I was sure that the Vongola Famiglia would only continue to prosper, and rather than sinking into darkness, he'll lead the Vongola into a path of blinding light.

The fact that I could actually associate myself with such an amazing Boss and his Family made me feel like being a Mafioso _wasn't _a mistake.

Upon thinking of Tsuna and the rest of the gang, however, I found myself slapping my palms together in front of my chest as I stared up hopefully at Dino. "Did Hibari ever visit?"

The handsome Chiavarone's expression stilled with hesitance for a second before he slowly shook his head. "Kyoya hasn't come by." Catching the look on my face, he asked carefully, "Were you expecting it?"

"Not at all," I admitted with a sigh. I ran a hand through my hair, my eyes darting off to the side to stare at the door, as if I believed that by gazing at the oak rectangle, it'd mean he'd magically appear. "I never heard him speaking to me during the short moments between slipping in and out of consciousness. I never felt his presence, but I kind of hoped that he visited."

"You know how he is," Dino reminded me lightly, trying not to make me feel better. "He's not the type to come visit people when they're injured, you know? It doesn't mean he doesn't care at all."

"I know." A small laugh escaped me, but it felt a bit off. I had been hoping that Hibari would visit, even if he didn't do it out of concern for my well-being, although that would be nice. I wanted to know, to have some kind of inclination, that I was _kind of _warming up to him. I wanted to know that I wasn't just some annoying stranger to him anymore. I supposed that I was asking him for too much. It had been over a month since we'd met, but even so, I felt like I didn't break down any of his walls yet.

In fact, I felt like I had just begun to _approach _the concrete fences he built around himself. I had no doubt that it was going to be much, much more difficult to crack Hibari than I had initially believed.

Dino's voice broke me out of my reverie, the somewhat smirking tone to his smooth voice making my eyes automatically slant to rest on him. "He's been distracted the past few days."

Somewhat confused—I had forgotten what we had been speaking about before I got lost in my own thoughts—my eyebrows furrowed together. "Who?"

Raising his eyebrows at me like he was wondering where my mind had gone, he specified, "Kyoya."

"Oh." I blinked at the taller blond, not quite understanding. In fact, I only got more perplexed. Not to mention worried. "Why? What happened?"

Dino's lips curled upwards, and he chuckled for a bit. Amusement seemed to twinkle in his chocolate orbs as he folded his arms across his chest, letting his weight rest on one leg. He kept his eyebrows raised at me and asked, "What do you think?"

Befuddled, my eyebrows drew together as I struggled to think of anything that could have thrown the skylark off his own little balancing scale. Nothing _realistic_ came to my mind—I was sure that none of the scenarios that invaded my thoughts could've possibly happened, because we were talking about _Hibari_.

Still, I took a complete shot in the dark.

"Did someone break Nami Middle's windows?"

"Nice guess." An amused, small laugh from the Chiavarone Boss, and a smile quirked at my lips. "Kyoya would definitely be angry, but that's not the case."

"Hibird decided he liked Tsuna better?" I tried again, though it seemed unlikely. Hibird seemed unusually attached to Hibari. They seemed to be very in sync with one another, despite being different species. Hibari had a certain way with petite animals that was almost uncanny.

Dino shook his head, making a face at my words. "I'm sure you're completely aware of this, but despite his attitude, he's actually very good with animals."

This time, I laughed because I had just been thinking of that. "Yeah, I know, it's just that I can't think of anything that could possibly knock Hibari off his equilibrium for more than just a few seconds. Unless..." Hesitance laced my voice now, and I looked at Dino anxiously, fiddling with the hem of my hospital-like gown. "D-Did he... get hurt?"

Silence overflowed into the room, neither one of us moving. The Tenth Chiavarone Boss looked at me with slightly widened eyes, his mouth opening a bit like he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. I could only stare back at him worriedly, wondering what in the world happened while I was knocked out.

Eventually, he got his voice to work again. "You think that Kyoya got _defeated_?"

"N-No!" I hastily exclaimed, throwing my hands out in front of me and shaking them as if to emphasize my point. "No, wait, I mean _yes_—it's just—I don't know," I finished pathetically, playing with the edge of the gown again. "It seems so unlikely, but I can't think of anything else that would make Hibari act any differently than he always does."

It was quiet again as Dino regarded me with some kind of bright, calculating look in his eyes. His gaze made me feel slightly restless—I had absolutely _no _idea what was running through his mind—and I didn't even know I had been breathing in more quietly than usual until he broke the brief silence, the air rushing out much more noisily as I relaxed.

"Is that so?" Unexpectedly, something like a half smirk and half smile pulled at the handsome blonde's full lips. I could only stare at him in puzzlement as that strange tilt of his lips stretched wider.

"I don't—I—why are you smiling like that?" I stammered, my words tumbling over one another. My lips thinned together, eyebrows pulling closer until I was sure that they formed one straight line. The look he gave me completely mystified me.

"It's nothing," Dino dismissed easily, the smirk becoming more prominent on his features now. It was obvious through his behaviour that _something _was conjuring up inside his mind, though, and I wanted to find out what. I had just opened my mouth to accuse him of it, but the door was flung open loudly, causing both of us to whip our heads toward the entrance to the room.

"You're finally up." The Arcobaleno's voice was dry.

"Hi Rebo—" before I could even finish my sentence, he had padded over to me and, as Leon changed into a cane, slammed it painfully into my shin. I winced as the pain flared in that area, instinctively dropping down into a crouch and clutching at the area. "_Ow_."

A sigh left Dino. "She's just recovering, Reborn. Why not be a little easier on her?"

"I _am_ being easy on her," came the hitman's declaration. As much as I wanted to say that hitting a girl in the shin with so much force was _not _considered being easy on her, I kept my mouth firmly shut. I knew that it could be undoubtedly worse than just a slap to the shin with a cane.

The two of them shared a look that I couldn't really understand, but there was a mutual agreement between the two of them. Reborn's expression was expectant, but somehow nonchalant while Dino looked understanding, a soft smile threatening to plaster itself onto his face.

Turning to me, Dino offered a hand. I blinked up at him in confusion for a moment, but he merely gazed at me with raised eyebrows. Uncurling myself, I placed my hand in his much larger one, and he hoisted me up with ease. "You should rest in bed."

"But I feel fine," I protested as he began leading me back to the grand, comfortable bed that I knew I had been resting in for the past few days. The comforter was embroidered intricately and the material was thick, the pillows enormous and fluffy and enclosed in matching cases.

"Don't complain," Reborn chided from where he sat on Dino's shoulder—he had jumped on so quickly that I hardly even realized it—and gave me a frown. "You should be thankful that Dino's such a generous host."

Although I was reluctant, I climbed back into the bed. I _was _tired, I had to admit. I felt weaker than usual, and I was sure that they knew it, too. As I slipped under the burgundy covers again, I turned to meet the blond Boss' eyes and said once more, "Thank you so much, Dino. Really. I can't even express—"

"That's enough." He raised a hand up in a "halt" motion, smiling down at me kindly. "It's completely fine. Stay as long as you need to, Azumi. You know that you're always welcome here." I opened my mouth to speak again, and he rolled his eyes. "Don't thank me again."

Unable to help it, I laughed. He knew me quite well.

With the smile never leaving his face, the Boss in his twenties stated, "I'll leave you two alone to talk. I'm sure you've got lots to say to each other—I have some things to attend to as well. I'll come by again later."

"Okay," I answered. "Thanks again, Dino." I didn't doubt that he was busy, but I knew that part of it was just an excuse to leave Reborn and I alone—I hoped that I wouldn't get another lecture, because Dino would be my only saving grace at that point—but I didn't make any attempts to ask him to stay. The Sun Arcobaleno and I would have the serious talk at some point, so it was better to get it over with sooner rather than later.

Or so I hoped.

He flashed another amazing smile before leaving the room, the suit-clad infant slipping off his shoulder and landing at the foot of the bed just as the blond turned. Neither Reborn nor I spoke as we watched Dino leave, our eyes merely sinking into his broad back. Even after he disappeared and the door to the room closed, the stillness remained unbroken for heartbeats that seemed too loud, too long to just be simple heartbeats.

Feeling nervous and apprehensive, I timidly let my eyes flutter over to rest on the strongest hitman who sat next to me, back to the headboard. He had crossed his legs, his arms folded across his small chest. He wasn't staring at me, though—he was staring down at the blanket in front of him.

I swallowed, licking my suddenly dry lips. When I spoke his name, it came out tentatively, hesitantly. "Reborn?"

"You're one of the biggest idiots in Varia," was his immediate response. He paused for a moment before correcting himself. "One of the most moronic people in the entire Vongola, even. Didn't they teach you anything correctly during your training camps? Or is it just that none of it sunk into your brain?"

My expression dimmed, the happiness and delight that I had felt upon recovering diminishing at his words. It wasn't just what he said, though. It was the memories that came with it, the _reality_. A cold feeling began to prick at my heart, and my voice was quiet as I reminded him. "I'm not meant for this, Reborn."

"But you've decided to follow through with it," he replied flatly.

"I never got to decide _anything_," I retorted, my throat tightening a bit. My hands clenched, grabbing fistfuls of the expensive-looking blanket. "I got forced into this world. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. I was never supposed to be part of this."

He lifted his eyes off of the spot in front of him, turning to face me. I almost flinched at the expressionless, monotonous way he looked. "And? What does that change?"

"I—" the words died down in my throat as I met his unwavering gaze with my own that faltered. What _did_ it change? Did it change anything at all? So _what_ if I wasn't supposed to be in Varia, or a Mafioso? Did I expect special treatment just because of that? Was I looking for sympathy, pity, empathy—_something_?

I swallowed and answered, "Nothing."

"Exactly," Reborn confirmed. "You always use it as an excuse, Azumi. Just because you initially weren't going to become a Mafioso, it doesn't change the present. It doesn't mean that you _aren't_, right here, right now. You can't keep using it to shield yourself. You're so stuck on what was _meant_ to be, not what _is_. I've told you this before too, haven't I?"

My lips thinned, my eyes darkening. My chest seemed to constrict, feeling tighter. It felt colder, number. I had to remind myself that it was _over_, that it wasn't going to happen again. I had to remind myself not to think about it, because I knew that if I did, I'd just end up crying over it, questioning myself, questioning _everything_—I'd just end up breaking down all over again.

Even though I knew Reborn was right, it didn't mean that I could accept it any easier than before. The small Mafioso was hardly ever wrong about things, but that didn't mean it could magically change the way someone felt. Not when every single emotion that penetrated me seemed to be embedded into my blood.

I couldn't help but be clutching at this "_meant to be_" because it changed my entire life. It was what decided my future, what my life now revolved around.

But things could've been so different.

I closed my eyes, breathing in deeply as I tried not to get wistful and melancholic. I answered the question he asked me with a simple, "Yes."

"So why are you still stuck on it?"

Numerous feelings overwhelmed me, suffocating me, choking me. For a moment, I couldn't find my voice to respond. Automatically, I tried to recompose myself, reform the mask that had broken. I forced my voice to sound light as I lied, "I'm not. I'm completely fine."

"If you were, you wouldn't be lying to me." It was spoken matter-of-factly, and Reborn pinned me with his intense obsidian orbs. His lips were still pulled into a frown, but there was some kind of look on his face that made me choke up even more than I already was. Despite the fact that he always seemed to wear a poker-face, I felt like he conveyed a sense of concern and affection. Like he cared.  
><em><br>But Reborn always, _always_ cared._

So I let the facade crumble, and I shook my head. Leaning forward, I buried my face in my hands. "I don't know. I feel like I don't belong here, Reborn. I'm so used to it, and there's so many times when I feel like I _fit_, but then I look around me at people like Squalo, Xanxus, Suzu... And I realize that I don't. That I never _will_. I want to believe that it's okay. That it's natural, and I feel like maybe I'm starting to accept it, but it's just—it's so hard. I get so angry with myself."

He's quiet for a moment, but it's not because I had knocked him speechless or anything. I was sure that Reborn was just waiting for me to regain myself, to pick myself back up and stitch myself back up together at the seams—he was waiting for my hands to stop their mild tremors, but they never did.

When he realized this, he spoke. "It's true that you don't fit in with everyone." I cringe upon hearing the sentence leave his lips, although I had already known. Hearing it made it seem so much more real, though—having the Arcobaleno say it to my face was like confirmation. A million emotions tumbled through me, but I couldn't even grasp at two.

"I know." It came out as a half-whisper, and my mouth was still open as I tried to say more, but Reborn hadn't been finished. The moment I realized this, my jaws snapped shut again, and I pressed my lips together in an attempt to stop the pathetic quivering.

"If you ever believed that you could truly be a real Mafioso like Xanxus or Squalo, then you're an even bigger idiot than I thought," he declared. "It's like throwing a rabbit in with lions and saying that eventually the rabbit will morph itself into a lion, too. It doesn't work that way." He paused, and the sounds of our breathing are so quiet that they were barely audible. Then he continued.

"But it doesn't mean the rabbit doesn't _fit in_."

My eyes snap up to meet his, but he isn't looking at me. He had seated himself next to my pillow, leaning against the wide front frame so that I had a view of his side-profile—or, well, _would _have a sight of it if his black fedora's rim hadn't blocked out everything. Even so, I knew that he was staring straight ahead at the wall in front of us, an expression on his face that I was sure I couldn't decipher.

It takes a while for his words to sink in, and when they do, words and feelings flooded into my brain. I blinked, stunned and dazed at how chaotic my mind was. No matter how I looked at it, a small, petite bunny could never fit in with lions. They were completely different in over a hundred ways.

My gaze was completely bewildered as I looked at Reborn.

The suit-clad infant looked like he was trying to hold back a sigh. With a hint of impatience lining his tone, he said, "I'm not telling you. Think hard about it until you understand what I'm saying."

"I don't—" I stopped myself short, too perplexed to continue. I felt my eyebrows pulling together over my eyes as I gazed at the small hitman, wondering what in the world he was talking about. Everything that Reborn said had a reason, though, and there was always some kind of deep, life-changing aspect to them. Or, well, that was always how it was for me. I was sure that Tsuna had a similar experience with him as well, but when I saw him before at Varia, he would just make fun of Mammon. _That _wasn't quite as life-altering, I was sure.

Ignoring the fact that I didn't comprehend anything, he questioned, "What were you and Dino talking about before I came in? It looked like an interesting conversation."

This time, my eyebrows shot upwards. I blinked at Reborn, surprised at the fact that he was asking. He never seemed to care about other people's discussions all that much, or he never showed it. I knew that he eavesdropped often, but he never actively pursued exchanges that he had missed. There was an odd glint in his otherwise blank black eyes and I knew that I looked even more confused than before. Wariness mixed in with it this time, though.

It took me a moment to rewind back to what the Chiavarone Boss and I were talking about earlier. I felt like that conversation had been weeks ago, but it had barely been half an hour since Reborn and I had been left alone. My mind flipped through the memories, trying to pinpoint exactly what Dino and I had been talking about after the pleasantries. I felt like we hadn't really spoken about anything at all before Reborn came, but a name popped out, and everything clicked together.

A soft smack was heard as I clapped my hands together and smiled. "We were talking about Hibari."

"Oh?" There was something in his tone that made me stare at him curiously, head tilted a bit.

Nodding, I elaborated, "Dino was saying how Hibari's been acting a bit differently from his usual demeanor lately." I paused for a moment, my smile slipping down into a grimace. "Do you have any idea what's wrong with him? Dino made me play the guessing game with him, and none of my answers were right."

There seemed to be amusement curling at the edge of Reborn's lips. "You're worried?"

"It's hard not to be," I mumbled in a sigh. My nose scrunched up slightly as I thought about all the different things that could've happened to cause a change in Hibari's usual routine and attitude, no matter how slight. He seemed to be the type that never let anything disturb him. "I'm serious, Reborn, is he okay?"

Something akin to a smirk decorated the infant's face. "Why don't you go ask him yourself?"

I gave him a look, my lips tugging downwards. "I would, but you've confined me to the bed." Sighing, I shook my head. "If you look like that, I'm sure he's fine. Maybe you're looking too deeply into things."

He remained silent for a moment, not agreeing or dismissing what I had said. I had a feeling that he thought I was a moron, though. He didn't need to say it, but he was _Reborn_. That was enough to make anyone believe and trust his instincts, and more often than not, the ones who _didn't _were always caught up in horrible situations.

"On the topic of Hibari," he started after a brief moment of silence, "I heard about the deal you made with him."

"Deal?" My mind was blank.

"The one you made with him to get Watanabe Tomoko into his house for first aid treatment." His tone was so factual that I almost didn't realize that he knew and I was sure that I had never told him. _Almost_.

Surprised, I asked him incredulously, "How do you _know _about that?"

No response, just another ominous smirk that made the hairs on my arms stand up. I supposed that I shouldn't have been surprised, but still! I had never, not even _once_, told him about that. And I doubted that Tsuna or the rest of the gang would just randomly bring it up into conversation.

... But then I realized that Reborn had probably been eavesdropping on the moments that the Vongola members _had _been speaking about the matter.

"The match is postponed until you're feeling better," he continued on, as if I hadn't said a word. "It wouldn't be a fair match if you weren't fully recovered."

A skeptical look crossed my features, and I grinned a bit. "You _do_ realize that the chances of my _actually _beating Hibari are slim, right? The Cloud Guardian is supposed to be the strongest. I think that I heard Levi and Lussuria talking about him once or twice, and what they were saying didn't sound pretty at all—meaning, of course, they think he's a monster-killing, limb-tearing machine."

"Don't give up before the fight even starts," Reborn reprimanded. Even though he said this, I could've sworn that he was agreeing with me inside his head. Although I was in Varia, that didn't mean that I was some kind of amazing assassin that could beat the crap out of everyone and anyone—especially not someone like Hibari, who didn't hesitate and never seemed to falter. I was the complete and utter opposite, and when it came to battle etiquette, that was a disadvantage.

I made a noncommittal sound, trying to think of what to say that would express my thoughts precisely. Just as the words had formed at the tip of my tongue, though, there were loud noises coming toward the room—voices, and familiar ones at that. It only took a few more heartbeats before knocks were heard at the door, softly at first, but then growing louder, followed by yelling and what sounded like scrimmaging.

Laughter escaped me as the door was suddenly slammed open, all of them stumbling inside looking stunned and sheepish. It was clear that they hadn't expected the door to be unlocked, and I was sure that someone—Gokudera, most likely—had reached for it and turned, the force of his action swinging the door open. With how many of them that had come, there was no doubt that even Dino's spacious hallways wouldn't have provided all that much room, which promptly squished them all together.

"S-Sorry," Tsuna stammered, his face reddening slightly as he caught sight of us. He looked guilty and like a deer caught in headlights, his walnut eyes wide. There was a sheepish veil that topped everything off.

"You're awake!" was Yamamoto's pleased greeting. He grinned brightly, laughing. "We were wondering when you were going to wake up."

"I knew that you were tough to the extreme!" Ryohei's eyes shone with determination, and he threw a fist up into the air, as if he had triumphed over a desperate struggle. His bright eyes were smiling as I met them, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Azumi, Azumi, Azumi!" Lambo sang my name, running over and hopping onto the bed, struggling a bit before I reached over and picked him up, setting him in my lap. He looked up at me with his jade eyes and pouts. "It's been no fun without you! Slow-poke Tsuna and Stupid-Dera don't play with me like you do!"

"Lambo, no!" I-Pin jumped onto the bed easily. "Azumi needs rest!" She turned to me and bowed in apology, tugging at the sleeves of her red outfit.

"It's okay," I reassured her with a laugh. Looking down at the two, I replied, "Once I'm back with you guys, I'll play a ton of games with you, I swear." I missed being able to go crazy and wild with them, running away and laughing as loudly as I could. It was fun, similar to enacting a childhood that I never had, but wanted. The past few days—not including the days I'd been unconscious, something that I should probably be aware of—I hadn't been able to keep Lambo, I-Pin and Fuuta company at all, and realizing this made me feel much too guilty.

I had been so caught up with myself that they had barely crossed my mind. A sense of shame and remorse began to gather inside my stomach, and I struggled to push it all away.

"We're so glad you're feeling better, Azumi-chan!" Two voices chimed together, and I looked up from the two infants sitting on my bed. It was odd, because even though Haru and Kyoko were the ones who were talking, my eyes somehow found Gokudera first.

His pale green eyes locked with mine, and I saw everything about him tense. Lips thinned and a scowl tugging at his features, the pale Guardian looked away defiantly. I wasn't surprised at his reaction, not after all that he'd said to me. I felt like he had a _right _to be angry with me, and I had to suppress a sigh.

Shifting my eyes over to land on the two female students, who had rushed over to my bedside, I smiled despite the fact that Gokudera's upset voice kept ringing through my mind. "Thank you for visiting me."

"We were all so worried," Kyoko told me, sincerity lacing her voice so purely. Her bright rows of teeth flashed, and she held up a bakery box. "We brought some treats to celebrate your recovery."

Drool almost flooded out of my mouth, and I could've sworn that my eyes were hearts. I found myself reaching out for the box, captivated. I heard all the sweets calling to me. "Can I really have some of that?"

Haru and Kyoko exchanged a giggle before nodding their heads. "Of course!" They both exclaimed happily.

"I feel like I could eat half of the world and still be hungry," I told them absentmindedly, grinning as I stared down at the pastel pink cardboard box. Haru, Kyoko, Tsuna, and Reborn leave to go get utensils—and a healthy meal provided from the amazing Chiavarone Famiglia's chef—which left me alone with the kids, Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei.

"Man." Yamamoto walked over and plopped down onto a vacant seat after bringing it next to the bed, throwing his hands behind his head. He grinned at me and said, "You had everyone in a panic for a while."

"Sorry," I apologized, the expression on my face turning sheepish. "Was Bianchi mad, too?"

"Furious," Yamamoto confirmed cheerfully, laughing at the look on my face. He waved it off dismissively and said, "But it's only because she's worried! It's okay, it's okay."

Ryohei walked over to the window and leaned against the sill, his elbows resting on the ledge as he faced us. "We didn't think you'd make it for a while," the grey-haired male admitted. "But we had faith that you'd pull through, to the extreme!"

"I told you that I'm tougher than I look," I said. Glancing around at the luxurious guest room, my eyes landed on the small calendar that rested on the mahogany bedside table. "How long have I been out?"

The answer came from the person I least expected it to. "Three days."

Mildly startled, I jolted a bit before my eyes darted up to stare at the dynamite user. His lips were tight and still pressed into a thin, almost invisible line, his eyes hard and cold. But the fact that he said something—that he deliberately spoke to me even though he didn't have to—made me smile slightly. He was still livid with me, but at least I knew that this was a sign that it'd get better. That maybe the worst of his anger was over.

"I see," I murmured. Words of apology wanted to spill out, but they got caught in my throat. I wanted to tell him why I did what I did, why I didn't tell him what was wrong. I wanted to do _something _to make it go back to the way it was before I had the fight with Masaru, but the word comes out forcedly before stopping and trailing off. "I—..."

Nonchalant, irritated. His gaze was nothing less than that as he stared at me, but I felt like he was losing his fuel. It didn't make me feel any better though, because I hadn't _done _anything to make it right again.

"Oh, stop," he muttered, as if he could sense my hesitance and worry and guilt. He scowled deeply at me. "You're going to fry your brain if you think so hard."

The insult didn't sting, because albeit his words held an edge, there was no real bite. My eyes fell from his lean frame down to my loosely interlocked fingers, the sound of Lambo, I-Pin, and Fuuta laughing just vague hums in the background of my mind. There was so much I wanted to say to him, so much I wanted to apologize for and explain, but a realization hit me so hard that I almost fell out of the bed.

All of it would just be excuses.

So I bit down on the inside of my cheek to stop anything that would've been blurted out, and instead I thought about everything I had done. I reflected back on it in a pensive way, not an angry or desperate way. I was sure that Yamamoto and Ryohei were holding a conversation together about something, but I was only half-listening.

Then for whatever reason, I breathed, "Thank you for being so concerned." It was the only thing that I could come up with, and it's so quiet inside the loud, noisy room it could've been a leaf falling to the ground in the middle of a thunderstorm. Nobody heard, but after a moment and I looked up again, Gokudera's eyes were burning into me.

And I realized that maybe he didn't hear what I was saying, but he caught it anyway.

Seconds ticked by along with heartbeats, but soon I could feel the smile that was pulling up the corners of my mouth, and no matter how hard I tried to stop them from spreading wider, it didn't work. Soon enough, I was absolutely beaming at Gokudera, whose expression twisted in a way that I couldn't tell was bad or good, then he turned his head away stubbornly.

Stifling a laugh, as I was sure that he'd only glower at me darkly, I turned my attention to the rest of the people in the room. I had just started chasing Lambo around the room, being "it" for a game of tag, when the door clicked open and the four people that left returned, this time with Dino and all the utensils. The Chiavarone Boss was also pushing a silver cart with him, and even though there were silver covers placed over the platters of food, I nearly tripped over my own two feet at how delicious I knew the dishes looked.

Reborn tsked, a grimace on his features. "Are you all animals?"

"Are you sure you should be out of bed, Azumi?" Tsuna asked, not having the same thoughts as Reborn. They weren't even in the same _book_.

"How energetic!" Haru exclaimed, sounding excited. "I hope that you guys are all hungry after all that running!" Her eyes were shining.

"Dino-san's chef is amazing," Kyoko told me, her face tinted pink from awe. "We saw him decorating the dessert he was making, and it was magnificent! The designs were so _pretty_."

"He was so flattered by their compliments," Dino laughed, his grin wide. He didn't seem to mind the fact that the kids and I had been rampaging around the room either, and it relieved me.

Pushing the cart further in the room—I realized that it was a much, _much _bigger cart than usual—he took the stack of plates off the top and began handing them out. When we all had our proper utensils, he presented us with numerous plates of gourmet food that made me want to gobble it all up or inhale it all like air.

We ended up practically battling for the food, but when we all had enough on our plates that they were practically overflowing, we settled back into our respective places and had an entire conversation with everyone included. There were no side conversations or groups of twos and threes speaking, but _everyone _was talking to everyone else, an enormous group discussion full of laughter, jokes, and smiles.

And I had no idea how long it went on, but I knew that if it lasted for an eternity, it would have been okay with me.

The only person missing that would have turned an "okay eternity" into an "amazing forever" was a certain onyx-haired skylark.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

And that sums up the fourteenth chapter! I KNOW, I KNOW, IT'S SO ANTICLIMATIC FOR A ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY CHAPTER AND I'M SORRY! ASDFFGHJLK. I regret not having paced this story so that by the time I hit one year, I would've been at an amazing part and had an amazing chapter whipped out for y'all. I MEAN, HIBARI ISN'T EVEN IN THIS CHAPTER. -FLIPS TABLES- I'M SORRY.

He'll be in the next one, I swear! DON'T THROW BURNING TORCHES AT ME. T-T

As always, I apologize for any spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and OOCness that may have occurred in this chapter! ( I swear there are five million. ASDFGJKL. )

LOTS OF LOVE AND THANKS TO;

**AkainoHotaru, OneWhoWasForgotten, , Kuroko Tsunayoshi, Yukari-chan s2, 10th Squad 3rd Seat, Nomurai, xXMizukiXx, Coannp, animegeek123, SkittlesKat, IcedLady, Tenshi and Akuma, and lilsakuraxxXX**

Thank you guys for your amazing, fantabulous reviews! It really means so much to me. -heart swells-

Also, thank you to everyone who alerted and favourited! (x

RESPONSE TIME!

To **AkainoHotaru**;

STOP FLATTERING ME. -blushes- LOL.  
>Thank goodness you think that she's admirable and that you like her. I know that my friends would probably consider her a pushover and that she needs to have more guts, but y'know. To each their own. Azumi's just not the type to like confrontation and all. LOL.<br>ASDFGHJKL. How is school for you? Being a senior sounds like it sucks. A lot. I hear tons of stuff about stress. I hope that you're taking good care fo yourself, though, and good luck!  
>No, thank YOU for always reading and supporting me. It means so incredibly much, you have no idea. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. (x<p>

To **Kuroko Tsunayoshi**;

I KNOWWWW, I'M SO SORRRRRRRY. -wails- I'd love to update faster, but school is destroying me. Literally. I hardly get enough sleep. -sighs- But I swear I'll try harder!  
>Thanks for reminding me that I make my readers wait for too long! I hope that you liked this chapter~<p>

To **Nomurai**;

Oh dear lord, he's not even in here... LOL . BUT HE'S MENTIONED. SERIOUSLY, DON'T THROW THINGS AT ME. -HIDES-  
>Aww, thank you! Although luck is definitely not on my side in anything. School is killing me in so many ways.<br>Hopefully you're back in the swing of things and everything is flowing nicely for you!  
>I NEED TO UPDATE MORE OFTEN. -DIES- I'LL TRY, I'LL TRYYYYY!<br>Thank you for always taking the time to review and offer me support! It means so much, Nomurai! I hope you enjoyed this chapterrrrrrr. (:

To **xXMizukiXx**;

LOL. ASDFGHJKL. You have no idea how much I ADORE you. -sparkly eyes-  
>Bleh, Hibari's not in this chapter either. Dear lord. LOL. I apologize!<br>YES! I love shounen stuff 'cause the comradeship is just so amazing and I love writing about it. I fantasize about that stuff in real life, man. It would be lovely. xD  
>The reason why she requested to be taken to Dino's will definitely be revealed in upcoming chapters, so I hope you look forward to it! (x<br>NOSBNOAWNOBWEB. THANK YOU! Your words of encouragement and support are never ever boring and I love to hear from you. Seriously. I don't even need to look at your username to know how to spell it, and I always realize when I'm missing a review from you. LOL. No jokes. Thank you for sticking with me so long! s2  
>I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you! Good luck to you with your life, as well. (x<p>

To **SkittleKat**;

Your praises make me want to puke out rainbows and sunshine. In the best way possible. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME? -feels so warm and fuzzy on the inside- Thank you, thank you, thank you! Although I don't think I'm worthy for half of those praises, dear lord, you sure know how to make a girl feel good. LOL.  
>HOHOHO! Azumi has quite a few secrets, but probably not as many as you'd expect. xD They'll all be revealed in later chapters, so I hope that you're still with me then!<br>I SHOULD UPDATE MORE OFTEN, EH? I honestly should. I'll try harder to find time! I'm sorry for always making my readers wait. ASDFASNBOAWENBOB.  
>Thank you so much for your amazing review; it made my day when I read it! I hope that you enjoyed the latest chapter, and that I'll hear from you again! (x<p>

To **IcedLady**;

Aww, thank you! You're an absolute sweetheart. -starry eyed-  
>I'm glad that I'm able to make you feel emotions and move you with my writing! I think that's one of the biggest praises an author can get, and although I'm doubtful half the time, I'm still so happy to know that I can evoke something like that in someone. So thank you! I'm so glad you love my stories. (x<br>I'll definitely try harder to update this more often since I know that you love it so much! I'm sorry that I'm constantly updating so slowly! ASDNBOWENOBWEb.  
>Thank you so much for your wonderful review, IcedLady! I hope that you'll continue to support me, and that you enjoyed this chapter!<p>

To **Tenshi and Akuma**;

;OOO! I think that you're the first person who has EVER told me that I _lack_ description in my writing. LOOOOL. Everyone else I know says that I have too much of that stuff! I'm glad that you're sharing your thoughts with me, though! I can see where you're coming from, definitely! But I think the reason why I describe the Family in so much detail is because they're so important to the story, y'know? And sure, we already know what they look like, but I'm writing in Azumi's point of view and she's meeting them for the first time, right? I'd put in a lot more detail about their surroundings... if I knew what their surroundings actually looked like. LOL. -SLAPPED-  
>Thank you so much for sharing with me your thoughts! I'll keep what you said in mind, and I'll try to improve! I hope that, if you're still with me, that you enjoyed the latest chapter!<p>

To **lilsakuraxxXX**;

AZUMI IS A GIRRRRRRL. Just, y'know, in case you didn't know. I'm not sure if it was a typo or something, but yeah, Azumi is a girl. LOL. -DIES- I'm glad you think that she's cool, though! And yes, I DO plan to pair her up with Hibari. -grins-  
>I WOULD put in more romantic scenes of Hibari and Azumi together, but... I plan to take things slowly. Especially because Hibari isn't the type to just jump into a relationship and all, you know what I mean? I want to make it as realistic and in character as possible, and that's going to take a while. Even then, the romantic scenes will probably not be as shoujo-ish as you'd expect or like. I'm so sorry about this, but I hope you understand! ASNBOAWENBO. Thank you for being so empathic!<br>Also, thank you so much for telling me your thoughts and dropping me a review! It means a lot to me. I hope that you enjoyed the latest chapter!

END OF RESPONSES.

Phew.

End of the fourteenth chapter, and it's almost November 20th! I still have fifteen minutes before November 19th and the one-year anniversary date is over, so I'm hoping that I get it up in time! -FLIPS TABLES-

HAPPY ONE-YEAR, EVERYONE!

Love it, hate it, like it? Feel free to tell me your thoughts!

I'll try to update as soon as I can, guys!

Once more, THANK YOUUUUUUUUUU! I love you guys to bits!

Please drop me a review! (:

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	15. Sparks

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! or any of the characters. All rights go solely to Amano Akira.**

**A/N:**

It has been far too long since my last update.

But I'm here, I'm alive, and **I'm so thankful for those who have supported me, and those who are still here.**

I'll be including a **longer author's note at the end of the chapter**, so if you want to hear anything I have to say at all ( and I kind of really hope you do ) that's where I'll be. After around two and a half years, I'm sure that any of you that are still here are itching to read what happens next. I know what that's like.

And so, to keep it short and simple in this top part; **Thank you for waiting. I'm sorry that you had to wait.**

**This story will see completion one day, whether it be months from now, or years-but it will happen.**

So finally, the fifteenth chapter of _You, Who Will Never Be Bound. _ENJOY!

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><p><strong>CHAPTER FIFTEEN;<strong>

_"Sparks"  
><em>

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><p>I was slightly nervous as I entered Nami Middle's main entrance, the hallways still vacant and the air still. It had been a few days since I had last stepped foot in the building, but it felt like I had been gone for years. Everything almost seemed <em>new<em> to me again—just almost. It felt like I was on a novel adventure once more, and I couldn't help but smile through my anxiety.

My stomach fluttered queasily, because I was going to see Hibari again after a handful of missed days. I wondered if anything would change between us—would he tell me to get out again and truly mean it, like when I had first come? Had any and all progress, if that even occurred, vanished with my absence? I hoped desperately that he wasn't going to push me away again and rebuild all his walls, because I hadn't even had the chance to try and break them yet.

Being bedridden for a while gave me a lot of time to think, and I was slightly embarrassed to admit it, but I found myself thinking about Hibari a lot. Not in any romantic sense or anything, but I was curious about him. Fascinated. Perhaps it was his loneliness and his desire for solitude that made me gravitate towards him, because I was the complete opposite. I _liked_ being with other people, and being alone made me feel... uneasy. Sometimes.

Maybe most of the time.

A part of me believed that a lot of it had to do with the fact that Hibari always seemed so _lonely._ And misunderstood. People were always avoiding him like he was the plague, or they were afraid of him like they believed he would just whip out his tonfas and murder them on the spot—_not_ that it seemed too far-fetched, but still!

Hibari was kind. Just... in an odd way that you had to look for. And nobody really looked for it in him. I wanted people to see that part of the skylark. I wanted to see more of that side of him. Surely, even to someone who preferred to be alone, being pre-judged and just a label must be suffocating. I just hoped that I could somehow bring out the kinder side of the Cloud Guardian.

The Sun Arcobaleno had said all I needed to do was be myself. Dino had always said something similar to that, too. But I felt like by being myself, all I was doing was annoying the prefect. He didn't seem to like me very much, and although I wasn't going to give up on befriending him, it was impossible not to feel slightly deterred.

Shaking my head roughly, I chided myself. I wasn't supposed to be mulling over this stuff or brooding. I _was_ going to be Hibari's friend. _Definitely. _It was my goal from the very beginning, and I was going to see it through.

Stopping in front of the Disciplinary Committee's room, I inhaled deeply and shut my eyes, giving myself a moment to compose my thoughts. As I exhaled slowly and got a grip on my emotions, I found myself grinning at the thought of seeing the aloof Guardian after so long. Reaching forward, I slid open the door loudly—I had been a _bit_ too forceful due to my newfound excitement—and immediately, my eyes landed on the person that sat behind the mahogany desk.

Nothing had changed in the slightest. His paperwork was in their usual two stacks, his curtains only halfway drawn. There was no garbage or idle items anywhere; everything had a spot, and everything remained there. Well, until I came and—unintentionally and only _occasionally_—created a small mess. Tiny ones. I always tried to clean up after myself, too.

Hibari was sitting there, pen in hand as he gracefully slid it along the paper to form his signature. His obsidian strands remained neat and unfazed, his blue-grey eyes still as icy and cold as ever. The features of his face immediately contorted upon resting on me, but I still couldn't read him well enough to tell if it was good or bad.

"Good morning, Hibari!" I exclaimed brightly, my smile so wide I felt like my face was going to split in half if I tried to smile even the tiniest bit wider. I skipped into the room, almost forgetting to shut the door behind me as I entered. I placed my bag down on the floor next to the couch in its usual spot and approached the Guardian who eyed me warily and in distaste.

"You're back." It was a statement, not a question. He didn't sound pleased about it, either.

Amused, I nodded my head and placed a cup of untouched coffee down onto the desk, pushing it towards him. "Yup! Sorry I've been out so long. I got you some coffee. How have you been lately?" I had to stop myself from blurting out that Dino had told me about his unusual behaviour.

He glowered at the coffee cup for a moment before shifting his narrowed eyes up to meet mine. "Be quiet. Your constant jabbering is too noisy and annoying."

Undeterred by his response and his glare, I merely continued smiling at him. I couldn't let his words hit me too hard, or else I would just end up getting discouraged again. I honestly couldn't spot anything different about him—his reactions and his words seemed perfectly normal to me. I didn't understand what about him was unusual or peculiar. Had he just been feeling a bit sick the times he had met up with Dino?

"I'm sorry about all the trouble I might have caused you," I apologized, the upward tilt of my lips turning sheepish.

His eyes narrowed a fraction more. "Ho? How arrogant. It appears that you must have damaged your brain. Herbivore, you aren't so significant."

Surprise covered my expression as I tried not to wince at his words. _Harsh. _I reminded myself that it was Hibari—_Hibari_—although my free hand absentmindedly clenched into a loose fist. I almost choked on my own saliva at his words, a sigh threatening to escape me. He really couldn't have put it in a nicer way, could he? But it wasn't because of his cold words or tone that threw me off. It was the fact that he completely misinterpreted what I meant.

"No, no!" I objected, blinking at him for a moment. "I don't expect you to be fazed or anything. It's just that I know Tsuna and Yamamoto and everyone... They might have caused you trouble because they have a tendency to panic. I'm sure that they must have bothered you about visiting or something. I'm sorry about that. I know you don't like crowding."

The look he gave me was scrutinizing. It was an apathetic, rather disagreeable kind of gaze, but it somehow remained faintly contemplative. I could only stare back at him, eyebrows pulled together slightly and an awkward, perplexed expression on my face. I didn't know why he was looking at me like that—did I have something on my cheek? Was my hair still sticking up everywhere like a bird's nest, even though I had thrown the long strands into a messy side braid?

My eyes widened in horror when a thought hit me—was my tongue still dyed that terrible shade of lime green from that candy Lambo had given me this morning?

Embarrassed and a bit mortified, I immediately reached up to slap my hand up against my mouth in a pathetic attempt to hide what he had already seen. I felt my face warm, and it took everything I had not to just turn around and run to the nearest washroom to scrub that colour out. He probably thought I was joking this entire time and wasn't taking him seriously! What was I going to do if he thought I had a green tongue _permanently _because it was some kind of side effect of the antidote Bianchi gave me? What if he thought that my tongue was poisonous?!

Flustered, my words came out muffled and tripping over one another, because I refused to move my hand and flash him my blinding tongue. "It's not what you think! I didn't—I know it's a bad colour and you probably think I was turned into a half-monster human or something, but it's not that! This morning, Lambo gave me some candy and I didn't even think about it when—"

"How strong is he?" His unexpected question threw me off, making my mouth snap closed instantly upon hearing him speak. His eyes dropped down to stare at the documents in front of him for a moment before meeting mine again, the look in them piercing.

Confused, my eyebrows knotted together. "Lambo? Well, he's still only five, so he's not too strong physically, but give him a few years—"

"Not _that_ small animal," he interrupted again. His expression was solemn as he elaborated curtly, "The one you fought."

Realization dawned on me, and I felt stupid for not understanding who he meant right away. I almost wanted to slam my head into the wall, because I felt a bit embarrassed, too. Why would he want to know about Lambo randomly, anyway?

"Masaru's..." I paused, trying to find the right word for the infuriating poison-wielding man. Just _thinking_ about him made me want to punch something or roll around in my bed and scream into my pillow. Everything about him was so—so—_maddening._ I frowned deeply at the thought of him, and eventually settled with saying, "Difficult."

"You're merely weak," he objected flatly.

"Maybe," I admitted carelessly, "but rather than his abilities being unique and frightening, I think what's most difficult about him is his attitude. I don't think I've ever met anyone who has irked me so much." At least with Levi we were both _relatively_ civil with one another despite our mutual dislike for the other. The Varia member would always try and throw insults that would hurt me or cause my feathers to ruffle, but he never tried to _break_ me.

And that had been exactly what Masaru had been endeavouring to do.

The skylark shifted his attention from me down to his paperwork again. His pen hit the paper, and he had an air of disinterest as he stated, "How boring."

"You're not interested at all?" Curiosity laced my voice. I was aware that Hibari didn't like wasting his time fighting people that he didn't consider worthy, but he just brushed Masaru off so easily. "He's a skilled fighter. I think his poison is what makes things tip to his advantage, though."

"No. Rather than 'difficult,' poison is _exasperating_," he retorted without even batting an eyelash.

"It is," I agreed. I tried to imagine Hibari and Masaru engaging in battle together, and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to cringe. It didn't take a pot of creativity to see a really tense scene—they would definitely _not_ make a good combination. I could imagine Hibari getting incredibly angry, and so would Masaru. "M-Maybe it's better that you don't want to fight him."

Pivoting on my heels lightly, I turned and walked back to the sleek couch, plopping down on it. Grabbing one of the cushions, I placed it in my lap and hugged it to me. I took a sip of my own black coffee before asking him, interested, "Has anything worthwhile happened while I was away from school?"

"What a pointless question," was his response. It told me everything that I needed to know, and I almost wanted to laugh and sigh at the same time. Hibari was a horrible conversationalist. I wondered whether he spent his days just milling around Nami Middle, or if he had skipped out and done other things. I couldn't picture the onyx-haired Disciplinary Committee leader not coming to school, though. After all, he was so attached to this place.

Something resurfaced in my mind while I continued to muse about the Guardian, and I nearly slapped myself for not remembering to ask this earlier. It had always been something I'd been meaning to inquire about, too! "Hibari, why are you still at Nami Middle? It's not a big deal or anything, but I thought that once you hit sixteen here in Japan, you end up having to go to high school."

He stilled for a moment before continuing like nothing was wrong. But he didn't answer me. The prefect merely continued to read over the content in the documents, his cold eyes sliding back and forth along the lines quickly. His lips seemed to slant downwards into a frown.

From the way he reacted, it was clear that it wasn't a subject he would open up on anytime soon. My lips thinned a bit as I pondered about what his reasons could possibly be. I came up with numerous scenarios, like him loving Nami Middle too much to move on, or not being able to attend because he had missed out on the exams, or something of that sort. I didn't think that Hibari couldn't make it because of his grades. Albeit he didn't seem like the studious type, I knew he was clever and intelligent. Perhaps none of the high schools would accept him because of his menacing aura and for his... _much_ less-than-perfect record. After all, he got into fights so frequently, it was almost like he had to beat people for nutrition.

But a thought slammed into my head so hard, I almost toppled over. Before I could stop myself, I blurted out worriedly, "I-It's not a family thing, right? Y-You don't have a sister or someone who's in the hospital and you have to pay their medical bills and that's why you can't afford to go to high school, right?!"

"... You must be an idiot," he remarked, not even sparing me a glance. "What a cliché reason."

"You're evading the question!" I exclaimed, my breath still held in horror. My eyes were wide as I stared at him, concern bubbling in my stomach. Could it be possible that Hibari _did_ have such an unfortunate circumstance? Did he really have a younger sister that was resting in a hospital?

He let out a barely audible sigh that frayed with irritation at the ends. "No." He paused briefly. "And if you insist on being so loud, I'll assume you're ready to get punished."

Unable to help it, I let out a laugh. I held a hand forward, palm facing him in a sign of surrender. "Sorry, sorry! I'll be quiet." It surprised me that he would even let me speak for so long. Normally, Hibari would only allow a few words of conversation before he told me to shut up or something along those lines.

I observed the Guardian with a smile stretched across my face. Somehow, even though I hadn't seen him in a while, it felt like rather than growing more distant with each other, we somehow got closer.

And from the way Hibari reached out fifteen minutes later to grasp the coffee cup and take a sip, I wanted to believe so, _so_ badly that I wasn't the only one who thought that way.

* * *

><p>"The Tanabata festival is coming up soon," Kyoko told me, a bright smile stretching across her face. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she spoke of it, and she invited excitedly, "You have to come with us, Azumi-chan!"<p>

"Tana... bata festival?" I repeated, befuddled. My eyebrows scrunched together as I stared at the orange-haired Nami Middle student sitting in front of me, my chopsticks carrying an egg roll halfway up to my mouth.

It sounded so familiar, but I still wasn't entirely sure what it was. I couldn't pinpoint it. I didn't think I had ever attended a festival that went by that name. Visiting in the summertime as a child was rare, and when I did, it would always be near the beginning of June or the end of August, when Iemitsu was allowed a short break to go home. I had never been in Japan during the month of July.

"Oh, that's right." Tsuna blinked his walnut eyes at me. "Since you were raised in Italy, Azumi, you probably don't know what a Tanabata festival is."

Curious, I stuffed the food in my mouth and chewed quickly, swallowing loudly before asking, "What is it?"

"It's basically an average festival," Gokudera stated matter-of-factly. "Except, for whatever reason, people are deluded into thinking that writing their romantic fantasies on differently coloured paper and tying it up on bamboo trees will somehow grant their wish." The small scoff that lit up the end of his sentence told everyone that Gokudera did _not _believe in such legends or rumours at all.

A small gasp left me. "Does this mean we get to wear yukatas?"

"Yes!" Kyoko clasped her hands together, so much happiness in that one word that I felt like it was a ball of sunshine and rainbows. "Have you ever worn one before, Azumi-chan?"

"No," I shook my head. Leaning forward, I could feel excitement swelling up inside of me as I exclaimed, "But I really, _really_ want to try wearing one! I always see pictures of people wearing them around and they look so _pretty_!"

If possible, Kyoko's eyes shined even more. They practically looked like stars now, nothing dimming down the delight that ignited in her orbs. "Haru-chan and I plan to go shopping this weekend for our yukatas. Would you like to join us? It'll be so much fun with you there!"

"Can I?" My cerulean eyes were wide as I stared at her hopefully. It would be the first time I ever went yukata shopping, and I wanted to roll around on the floor in excitement. I had always wanted to wear one, but I had never visited Japan on occasions that allowed me to wear one in public without attracting odd looks. I had seen so many different colours and designs, just imagining the patterned fabric made me want to grin. Something about a yukata or a kimono was just so... _grand._ It was hard to explain, but ever since I was young, I'd always wanted to wear one. To finally be presented the opportunity and to actually _go to a festival_ made me so giddy.

"Of course!" Kyoko nodded with gentle vigour. She beamed at me. "How does Saturday at eleven sound? Namimori Shopping Centre?"

"Great!" I agreed immediately, a wide smile stretching across my face. I could hardly wait that long—I was practically bursting with pleasant anticipation, my blood already thrumming.

Yamamoto laughed, the sound warm and full. When I looked over at him, he was lounging back on the palms of his hands. His light toffee eyes met my own questioning ones, and he flashed me a big smile. "You sure are excited, Azumi. You really haven't ever worn a yukata before? Do they not sell it over there in Italy?"

"I haven't ever encountered a place that sells them," I sighed. "And every time I've come to Japan, it's never been at a time appropriate to wear yukatas, so I never got the chance to buy one. I'm so _excited_!" I was practically bouncing up and down where I sat, the delight of the thought tingling through me. I'd always had some kind of affection for traditional Japanese clothing—the beauty and the regal aura were too astounding to resist.

"It's not like yukutas are a rare, exceptional thing here," Gokudera shot at me, his lips curling a bit downward. "Getting so happy over it makes you look like an idiot."

"But I'm not fully Japanese, and I've lived in Italy for most of my life, so I'm a _foreigner_!" It was only after the words had left my mouth, just a burst of exhilaration, before I realized how stupid that probably sounded. But it didn't even matter, because technically, I _was_ considered a foreigner, wasn't I? I was sure that most people viewed me that way—blonde hair, blue eyes, somewhat tanned... I didn't have the standard Japanese kind of look, and I wasn't born _or_ raised here.

Gokudera's palm connected with his face. "Idiot," he muttered under his breath.

"You'll love it!" Kyoko reassured me happily, nodding her head.

"We should all go together, to the extreme!" Ryohei exclaimed from where he sat next to his sister. He was grinning widely, his lips stretching from one side of his face to the other. "The festival will be much better if we're all together!"

"It'll probably be easier for Azumi too, since it's so crowded at festivals," Yamamoto mused aloud thoughtfully, laughing at the end. He probably imagined me getting swamped by the mobs of people, but I was sure that I wouldn't get _lost_. More like... Temporarily confused and directionally challenged.

Tsuna nodded in agreement, a slight smile gracing his features. "Yeah. Let's all go together."

"Will the Mist Guardian be joining us as well?" I asked eagerly, beaming at them. It had been a while since I first came to Namimori, and I still had yet to meet Chrome and the Kokuyo Gang. I _had_ received a bit of information on them before coming, but there hadn't been much. It had all been quite vague. I had always meant to ask Reborn about that, but I never had the chance to. The reports on many of the Guardians weren't detailed and extremely short—for the background portion, at least. I was sure that he had obtained more information than just those tiny excerpts, though.

But then that made me wonder why he would purposely withhold that information from me.

The mention of the mysterious Guardian seemed to darken the bright topic a bit. Tsuna had practically frozen the moment the word "mist" fell from my lips, and the three other Guardians present seemed to share looks—although Ryohei and Yamamoto seemed to do so in a more oblivious manner than Gokudera.

"Uh... W-Well..." Tsuna scratched the back of his head awkwardly, avoiding my eyes.

"I don't see why not," Yamamoto said after a moment, shrugging his shoulders. An easy smile spread across his face. "We can go and ask her sometime!"

"Can we go today after school?" I asked hopefully. When Tsuna gave me a helpless look, I gave him a sheepish smile. "I really, _really _want to meet her."

"The Tanabata festival is still _weeks _away." Gokudera scowled fiercely at me, his arms folded across his chest. "Don't drag the Tenth around just to satisfy your own curiosity!"

"The festival's actually, um, just _one _week away, Gokudera-kun."

"Did you hear that, woman? Exactly what the Tenth said!"

Rolling my eyes good-naturedly at Gokudera, and ignoring the ruckus he and Yamamoto made as the baseball player restrained the Mafioso, I raised my eyebrows at Tsuna. I played the only card I had that would sway his mind. "Don't you think Reborn would want you to bond with your Guardians?"

My childhood friend opened his mouth, then closed it. He opened it a second time, looking like he had come up with a better protest, before he paled and shook his head, thinking better of it. I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty at the lifeless look that entered his eyes. "Y-Yeah, I guess you're right..."

"Why don't you want to go?" I asked him quietly, genuinely confused. Tsuna wasn't by any means a social butterfly, and he was definitely against being pushed out of his comfort zone, but it was really rare to see such utter hesitance and reluctance in him. I had my own reasons for wanting to go, and my own reasons as to why every fibre in my being was telling me _not_ to. I was pulled in so many directions, but there were two things that I knew for certain.

One: I wanted to meet the Mist Guardian. My excitement stemmed from the idea of meeting Dokuro Chrome, but I knew that she was connected to Rokudo Mukuro in a way that was hard to truly comprehend.

Two: The fact that I survived through that poison _meant _something—it meant that there were so many people that fought for me as hard as they could, providing me with more time, more life, more _everything. _They believed in me for a reason, and because of that, I needed to fight just as hard to improve myself.

Those two reasons were enough to have spurred on this excursion.

He shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing together just slightly. "I-It's not that I don't _want _to go... The Kokuyo Gang and us... well, we just—we didn't really, uh, get off on the right foot, you know?" He paused, sighed, and then said, "It's just a bit weird."

I stared at him for a moment, taking in the anxious darting of his eyes and his refusal to meet mine. I stated, rather than asked, my next words. "You still don't trust Rokudo Mukuro."

"How can we?" the dynamite user hollered, butting into the conversation. "He nearly killed us, godda—" The rest of his words were muffled, replaced by Yamamoto's laughter and reassurances to Kyoko that we were just playing a game.

"... Gokudera-kun is right," he mumbled. His eyes shifted to meet mine, and he stared at me solemnly. "Like we mentioned before, we haven't had all that much time to get to know each other. Whether it's Chrome, or Rokudo Mukuro... We still don't know much about them."

Something cold formed in my chest, starting where my heart was and slowly branching out to my lungs. I wanted to say something, say _anything_, in the defence of the three men that composed the Kokuyo Gang, but I didn't know what I could possibly say. After all, it was _normal _to distrust people that had been previously trying to kill you. This whole Family business was something that was hard to adapt to, as it went against so many of one's natural instincts and thoughts.

If I hadn't grown up being taught the customs and the ways, I was sure that I would've felt the same way that the rest of them did. Honestly, it was such an odd revelation—_I _was the weird one here. Not Yamamoto, who still thought of this as a game despite the _real _injuries he'd sustained. Not Ryohei, who was somehow still oblivious to the fact that he was engaging in Mafioso activities and had this love for the word 'extreme.' Not Gokudera who was... well, Gokudera.

And not Tsuna, who was... _kind._

I didn't know how to feel about being considered weirder than all of them.

"... You can't get to know them if all you do is avoid them," I said eventually. It was only after I said it aloud that I realized those words applied not only to the Kokuyo Gang, but Hibari as well. I wondered if I'd been doing it subconsciously all along—directly putting myself into situations with the skylark because I knew that it was impossible to know someone if you weren't really _there _with them.

Tsuna stared at me silently, as if turning the words over in his head. He thought hard about it, his expression contorting into one of earnest contemplation. Even though he was so conflicted about it, I knew him well enough to know what his answer would be even if _he _didn't know it himself.

Eventually, he shook his head and sighed, his expression relaxing. He gave me a small, slightly more determined smile. "Yeah, you're right, Azumi. L-Let's go and see if they're there after classes are over."

"I'm in! I don't have baseball practice today," Yamamoto said, evidently finished with his playful tussle with Gokudera.

"If the Tenth is going, so am I!"

"Sounds like it's going to be extreme fun. Count me in!"

Relief and gratitude flooded through Tsuna's features. It was obvious that, despite his constant denial of Family and anything Mafioso related, his Guardians provided him with ease and security. His dependence on them and the effect they all had on each other was undeniable. Call it friendship, camaraderie, Family—regardless, they shared a bond that ran soul-deep. It was so heartwarming to _see _something like that. To see, firsthand, the absolute desire to protect those that mattered to you.

Did they understand just how truly wonderful that was?

"Thank you, Yamamoto, Gokudera-kun, Onii-san!"

"Please be careful," Kyoko said, smiling at us brightly from where she was. She didn't ask if she could be involved with what we were doing, as if already knowing it was something that wasn't meant for her. But it was such an admirable trait—to willingly resign yourself to exclusion for matters that you _wanted _to be a part of. "Onii-chan, don't come home too late."

Ryohei laughed, just a tad bit sheepishly. "Of course not, Kyoko! It won't even take 'til sundown. You don't need to worry, I'll be home before you know it!"

The bell signalling the end of lunch hour sounded, and almost absentmindedly, I looked over to where the small square device was attached to the wall. I began cleaning up, following the lead of the others. As I did so, I asked, "How does meeting in front of the school after classes sound?"

They gave a round of affirmation, and that was how, after a few more grumblings and pouts from Gokudera, we found ourselves at Kokuyo Land a handful of hours later.

I'd already very briefly visited the place before heading to Namimori and meeting with Tsuna, but coming here a second time still evoked the same feelings as the first. The entire place gave off such an eerily desolate, nearly hopeless, aura. The dark clouds that seemed to perpetually shroud over the abandoned amusement park was a large factor in the haunted atmosphere. It was like sunlight hadn't even _skimmed _the dirtied windows, the fallen debris, the nearly broken ceiling in years.

Even the air seemed colder here, creeping along your skin, shivering as it entered your system.

Something heavy entered my chest as we continued our way up the cracked, winding cement to the main building. The same feelings of guilt, of horror, of absolute sorrow bubbled up inside of me, hitting me just as hard as the first time I'd wandered by. When I'd been so excited asking about visiting the Mist Guardian, I'd forgotten just how upset this place made me. I'd forgotten just how _hard _it was to face your fears, to walk knowingly towards something that terrified you.

Every steady step I took forward cried for another eighteen steps back.

"Something wrong, Azumi?" When I glanced up at Yamamoto, startled, he was staring down at me with eyebrows raised in concern. He had his arms thrown behind his head, his fingers interlocking. It was such a carefree pose for someone who'd just entered this kind of territory. "You've been frowning this entire time."

"Oh." My eyebrows pulled together. "Have I been?"

"Yup!"

"Stupid woman has probably just realized how ridiculous this is," Gokudera muttered, hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face. He kicked at a loose piece of debris that was on the ground, the tiny projectile flying up and over a crumbled garden wall and into the bushes that lined the building.

Tsuna's concern emerged. There was a slight note of panic in his voice as he asked, "Are you feeling sick? Are you sure the poison has completely left your body? Maybe we should go back and ask Bianchi-san to make sure—"

"I'm fine," I reassured him, laughing a bit under my breath. "I am ten-hundred percent sure that the poison has left my body."

"So then..." he trailed off, gently prompting.

I stopped in front of the row of glass doors, lined up in pairs so that enormous waves of people could get inside without waiting too long. There were so many chipped corners, and the hinges of the doors were beginning to be tainted reddish-brown with rust. Inside, a dark and empty expanse stretched out before us—damaged and stained tiles, shattered pieces of glass from broken lights and windows, holes in the wall directly across from us. I felt cold as I stood there, staring into the darkness that stretched and curled along the edges of the room, like shadows that were longing for a different place.

_Improvement, _I reminded myself. It became a chant inside my head. I was alive because of Vongola, I was alive because of my friends, I was alive because of the people that I considered as part of my Family.

I needed to be better.

"Let's go," I forced through my gritted teeth. My breathing came out harsher than I would've liked, sounding loud and laboured. From the way the four males around me shared looks, I knew that they could tell there was a difference, too. Despite the fear that was shooting up and down my spine, I grasped the door and swung it open, stepping inside.

It took nearly everything I had not to turn tail and run.

If Xanxus or Suzu—anyone in Varia, basically—saw me like this, practically quaking in my boots, they would kick me out and execute me for sure. It was pathetic, the way the blood in my system seemed to freeze and the way my heart beat so hard.

Yamamoto brushed past me, arms still up in that easygoing posture. His back and shoulders betrayed him though, revealing the slight stiffness there. He led the way, throwing a small grin over his shoulder. "I remember this place well, so I won't get lost!"

"As if, you baseball freak," Gokudera hissed, shouldering past me to walk beside him. "Your memory is terrible; I'm not going to let you lead us in circles and get us lost! The Tenth has better things to do!"

Glass crunched beneath our feet as we walked, and I nearly flinched at the sound. My senses were on high alert, waiting for any sound or any movement that didn't belong to the five of us. The walls that enclosed us were grimy, and the paint was peeling off in various places, revealing dark wood underneath. Some had a lot of holes in them, while others simply had faded paint and stains.

Tsuna kept peeking at me from beneath his lashes, looking both concerned and curious, but I avoided his eyes.

Just as the white tiles ended and the wooden floorboards began, Yamamoto and Gokudera stopped. I was just about to ask them what was wrong, but a loud voice exclaimed, "You Vongola!"

"Yo," Yamamoto greeted happily.

"We meet again!" Ryohei exclaimed from beside me, his fists placed on his hips.

Gokudera, unlike the others, merely looked away. "Tch."

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" The one I assumed would be Joshima Ken asked, sounding disgusted. "You guys here to pick another fight? I'll take you down in a heartbeat this time!"

Immediately up for it, Gokudera was already reaching for his dynamites. "Bring it on, you animal-switching maniac."

"G-Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna protested.

Stepping forward so that I could pop my head out between the dynamite user and the sword wielder, I swallowed and greeted, "Sorry to intrude; we aren't here to pick a fight."

Joshima Ken, with his spiky blond hair and coffee eyes, stood with his hands in his pockets and a slight hunch to his shoulders. He had his lips pulled up into a taunting smirk, his tongue peeking out at one of the corners. Just a bit behind him and off to the side, Kakimoto Chikusa stood, hands in pockets like his partner, though his entire back seemed to hunch just slightly. It was a lazy posture, one that said there was better things to do than be here. Dark hair, lightless royal blue eyes, tattoo on his left cheek, glasses and an off-white beanie—he eluded the same vacant aura up close as the picture attached to this profile.

This was them.

"Oooh?" Ken stretched the word out, and his smirk stretched wider as he took another step forward. "Who the hell are _you?" _

"Shimizu Azumi," I introduced. I would've offered my hand if only he hadn't looked like he'd try to eat it. I couldn't help but glance between the two, taking notice of everything about them. My heart stopped beating the rhythm of petrifying fear."We're actually here to speak with Dokuro Chrome... Is she here?"

Ken scoffed, turning his head away. His expression contorted itself into a scowl, and he straightened himself out just a tad. "As if we'd know where that woman went."

"Isn't it bad if she goes out alone?" Tsuna blurted, his eyes wide with worry. Despite his distrust and wariness of Rokudo Mukuro, it seemed like Chrome herself was someone that he didn't have a problem with.

"What, _you _want to go and play bodyguard for her?"

"I-I just thought..." Tsuna shook his head. "I thought that you would want to make sure she's OK because Rokudo Mukuro..."

"She went to take a bath." Blank, flat, cool. Those seemed to be the words that encompassed Chikusa, though there was surely so much more than that. The fact that he'd even bothered to remember where she was going was an indication that these two weren't as heartless as they portrayed.

"Oh, that's right! You guys probably don't have running water in a place like this. I forgot because there are still some lights," Yamamoto laughed.

"Where do you guys bathe, then?" I asked, genuinely curious. I hadn't gotten any detail about Kokuyo Land itself, but only the people that resided within it. I'd thought that since there was still enough electricity to keep some of the lights on, it might've been possible to access small quantities of water as well.

"Down the street somewhere," Ken answered flippantly. His eyes narrowed into a fierce glower as they skimmed us. His words were hostile. "What the hell do you want with her, anyway?"

I raised my hand, smiling a bit sheepishly. "I wanted to ask Chrome if she would come to the upcoming Tanabata festival with us! And, I mean, if you guys wanted to, then maybe—"

"No way in hell!" Gokudera interrupted.

"Moron." Chikusa.

"Are you some kinda shitty comedian?" Ken sneered.

Eyebrows raised, I held my hands up in a surrendering pose. "I was extending the invitation just in case." A small smile made its way onto my face, hopeful and hopeless both at once. "I just thought it would be nice since I heard there would be fireworks. It'll be so bright and colourful. So full of... _light._"

Ken and Chikusa stared at me for a moment, their usual expressions frozen in place. The glint in their eyes were suspicious, angry, calculating. It was like they were trying to figure out what my interior motives were, but didn't even know where to start.

Before any of them could say anything, a feminine voice rang out behind us. "Boss?"

"C-Chrome!" Tsuna exclaimed as he whirled around, surprised.

She was standing just a couple of feet away, dressed in the olive green Kokuyo Junior High uniform just like her companions. Violet hair put up in a high, spiky ponytail and a skull eyepatch over one eye, she held her trident in both of her hands. There was a tentative air that surrounded her, and she looked stunned to see us there. "I-Is something wrong, Boss?"

"No, no!" Tsuna waved his hands up in front of himself vigorously. "There's nothing wrong at all, Chrome."

She visibly relaxed upon hearing that. Her tensed shoulders sagged slightly, and a smile began to pull at the corners of her mouth. It hurt to think about just how much suffering she must have gone through and still managed to be someone so soft-spoken, so soft-hearted. "That's good."

"We came to ask if you wanted to come with us to the Tanabata festival!" Ryohei explained to her. "Azumi was _extremely _excited about it, so maybe you will be, too!"

"A...zumi?" Her head tilted in confusion.

"That's me," I piped, stepping towards her. The only thing about her that reminded me of Mukuro was her hair—everything about them was different otherwise. Something twisted inside of me as I wondered whether or not he could witness everything through her. Was he lurking in the back of her mind, watching this exchange?

Rokudo Mukuro had a strange way of knowing things that he really shouldn't. Somehow, information that was confidential or known to just a few top elites would find themselves passing through his ears. He knew far too much, and he revealed far too little.

I didn't know how to feel about that.

Extending a hand towards her, I introduced with a smile, "Shimizu Azumi."

Hesitantly, looking at my hand like it was a foreign object, she clasped it lightly with her own. "D-Dokuro Chrome."

"It's nice to finally meet you," I told her. "You were the only Guardian that I hadn't met yet, so I really wanted to come and ask you to join us for the Tanabata festival. It's taking place in a week, and we were planning to go shopping for yukatas this weekend."

"We're all planning to go together," Yamamoto chimed in, grinning brightly at the younger girl. "The more the merrier, right?"

"Mhm, mhm," Ryohei nodded his head seriously in approval. "Yamamoto is correct to the extreme."

Gokudera stared at the two other Guardians for a moment, a look of disbelief fluttering across his face for just a moment. He looked away, eye twitching, as he mumbled under his breath, "Idiots."

Chrome blinked at all of us for a moment, quiet. Her eyes scanned over us, resting on me for a while longer. There was a slight furrow between her brows as she assessed me, but it was a look of befuddlement. She turned to Tsuna. "Is it really OK for me to come along, Boss?"

"You wanna _go_?" came Ken's incredulous reply.

She didn't even bat an eye as she looked at him and said, "Yes." She ignored Ken's spluttering sounds of annoyance, shifting her attention back to Tsuna. "Boss, do you not want me to?"

"T-That's not it!" he protested, stammering. He opened his mouth, shut it, and then ran a hand through his hair helplessly. Taking in a deep breath, he calmed his nerves and said, "We want you to come."

Her response was a beautiful smile. "Thank you."

"We're meeting at the Namimori Shopping Centre on Saturday at eleven in the morning," I told her with a grin. "Do you know how to get there?"

She nodded her head and repeated, "Namimori Shopping Centre on Saturday at eleven."

"We haven't planned the details for the actual Tanabata festival yet," Tsuna started, a sheepish tone in his voice, "but, um, we'll call you guys when we figure it out. Is... Is that OK?"

Another nod and soft smile. "Yes, Boss."

"Now that we're done, can we leave?" Gokudera asked, breaking the brief moment of joyful, warm silence between us. I almost tried to hit him for disrupting it, because couldn't he see that this was _progress? _

"Gokudera," I hissed under my breath, giving him a dirty look.

"_What_?" He folded his arms across his chest, a scowl on his face. "We still have to travel back to Namimori, stupid woman. Lawn-head said he'd get back before sundown, so we need to start heading back soon unless—"

Ryohei let out a noise of surprise, whirling around trying to find a window to gauge the light. Upon realizing that we were standing in the middle of a hallway with no windows in sight, he turned to Gokudera and exclaimed, "I told Kyoko sundown, and I keep my word to the extreme! _Sawada, _it's time to go!"

He was already beginning to jog back the way we'd come before any of us could even get a word out.

"O-Onii-san!" Tsuna cried after his retreating form.

"It was nice seeing you guys again! I'm looking forward to the festival," Yamamoto said, heading the way Ryohei went.

"Hmph," was Gokudera's goodbye as he turned away, walking extra slowly to make sure that Tsuna and I weren't going to lag too far behind.

"S-Sorry for coming and leaving so suddenly," Tsuna started. "We'll see you at the festival, Chrome."

"I'll see you on Saturday!" I waved, and she returned the gesture. I looked over my shoulder to where Ken and Chikusa were, offering another smile. "I really hope you guys go, even if it's not with us."

"Mind your own business!" Ken retorted, his tongue falling out of his mouth again. Chikusa, as a reply, simply pushed his glasses up and then turned away.

Instead of retorting, I simply linked arms with Tsuna and began heading towards Gokudera, who was moving at a snail's pace. When we caught up to him, we immediately picked up our speed to catch up with Yamamoto and Ryohei, who'd—with some insistence from the baseball player—stopped to wait for us, jogging impatiently on the spot.

It wasn't until after we had left Kokuyo Land and was halfway back to Namimori that I felt myself relaxing. I hadn't even realized I'd been so tense until after my muscles unlocked and breathing seemed to get easier.

That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I also knew that it was because I was _with _people that I knew were dependable. It was hard to be overcome with paralyzing terror when everyone that I surrounded myself with had such a warm, comforting presence.

They had leant me their strength again, and they hadn't even known it.

How much longer until I no longer had to depend so much on the people around me? I believed firmly that your Family were there _for _you to rely on—you were there for each other, meant to be one another's support and foundation. But I also firmly believed that there were some things that you _shouldn't _lean on your Family for, things that had to be solved and concluded by yourself. Things that were meant for you to overcome, and solely you.

This was one of those things.

I knew that I needed to find the strength inside of me to work on all these weaknesses I had, but it was more difficult than a lot of people could imagine.

But I was trying, and maybe one day that would be enough.

Today wasn't the end—there would be so many more instances to challenge myself, to face my fears. I _wanted _to improve and to be better. I wanted to prove to everyone—to _myself_—that I could be more than just a mismatched girl always hanging in limbo, always haunted by things that had passed.

I wanted to be all that I'd ever hoped to be.

And maybe that was enough to be the start.

* * *

><p><span>LOTS OF LOVE, GRATITUDE FOR AND ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF:<span>

**Lady Syndra, xXMizukiXx, Hisawa Kana, Yukaricchi, LeoInuyuka, TheBloodyArrow, Just your average awkward girl, Astin, Nomurai, R. Firefly, Animegeek123, MeLikesROFL, OneWhoWasForgotten, Amaya. rawrz, icecream flies, GodsOfDeathLikeApples, Ryuka Hayashi, XxSaphirezxX, CookieMonster, EvilBoyzR2Cute, UCHIHARUNO27, Ficchii, Michelle, randomizedthoughts, coldgazeproduction, RandomRoleplayer, White-Nostalgia, chibilaney4298, Snow0Redemption, Nyankitten, YamamotoFan, Cocoaspaces, Seere Klein, Anime-Kunoichi, Rikkai and hyotei lover, Rowen27, unknown1o1, Shinome Akira, ayamekyoya, tttttttttrrrrrrreeee, Matsuo Nozomi, partypoison, Gee, c, Guest, kalmaegi, 10th Squad 3rd Seat, MonoChromexX, Alice aquabld, Tsuna De Vongola Decimo, Viviene001, B. C, Lovina Rossi-Vargas, and HarukaDiamond999**

Thank you so incredibly much to those who have also favourited and alerted.

**There will be no replies to any reviewers for the previous chapter, ****but I want you guys to know that I reread all of them more than just once, and I gained so much strength and inspiration because of you guys. Thank you. I read each and every single one, and I appreciate all your kind words. **

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

So that's the chapter you've all been waiting two and a half years for. I know, I know- it isn't even anything spectacular. There was no mind-blowing scene, no extra suspenseful scene, no real action, but... I hadn't left off YWWNBB at that point, and I wasn't going to try and make some exploding comeback just to be like BAM, HEY, I'M HERE.

**I'm incredibly sorry. **I've been away for so long. Two and a half years is a long time to wait, no matter for what reason. In that time, so many things can change, whether it be you, your writing, your interests, your life. I want to say, and I really hope, that in the two and a half years that I've been gone, I've become a better writer. Which, really, is ind of humourlessly amusing, because how can I possibly be a better writer when I left you guys hanging?

**I disappointed you. I know. **

This chapter of YWWNBB is actually a chapter that was created out of many snippets and small chunks written throughout the two and a half years. **I hadn't forgotten this story; it was just hard to find the same motivation to write it. **But I just want to let you knows know that there were so many nights that I pulled out the document for this story and tried to crank something out. More often than not, I ended up just staring at it blankly.

**This chapter, and all the chapters that will come, are because of you guys. **I could hardly believe it when I was _still _receiving feedback from so many people, after so much time had passed. I was beyond shocked, beyond touched, beyond encouraged, by you guys who have read this and loved it and have shared that with me. **Everything you guys said gave me strength.**

**Thank you so, so much for keeping the faith. **

Thank you, to those of you who have stumbled upon this story even two years have passed since my last update, and _still _decided you would give it a go, even if it turned out to be a dead story. Personally, I could never do that. I have a problem with closure, and I always require some kind of ending eventually, or it drives me crazy. That might be the reason why, even after so many years, I've never forgotten any of the stories I have uploaded onto this site.

**I'm not giving up on this story. This story will be completed one day, and whether or not you guys decide it's worth the ride is up to you. I just want you guys to know that you guys are absolutely wonderful, and I'm so grateful to have ever had you as a reader. **

There really isn't any excuse as to why I've taken so long to upload. Many of you guys sent me in reviews telling me you didn't think this story will continue, and that you understood why. **Thank you for being so understanding. **It's always hard for authors and for readers when a story seems to just grind to a halt, and for you guys to be so empathetic and so considerate, I can't say thank you enough. I can't tell you guys how happy and delighted you guys have made me, how touched.

I'm trying to regain the fire I had when I first started writing this story, and to be honest, I still remember a lot of the main points. I still remember a lot of the scenes I wanted to include in this story, and I actually went back to reread some of it. **Part of the reason why it took so long was because I had to immerse myself back into the fandom. **I remembered certain character's quirks, and forgot others, and I wanted to be able to write everyone fairly IC again. Like for Ken and Chikusa this chapter... Lord. Save their souls because despite everything, I still feel like I butchered them. I spent a lot of time rewatching certain episodes or rereading certain chapters and everything, and **I'm still not as knowledgeable as I was when I first started this story. I'm so sorry about that. **

But I'm honestly trying, and it feels like 2015 is the year in which I'm restarting so many of my previous works all over again, but I'm so damn happy to be doing so.

**I hope that this update shows you guys that your feelings and your support wasn't, and will never be, a waste.**

I hope that this update brings you just was much joy that writing it and your words have brought me.

**I'm not giving up on this story, and I hope that you guys can find it in your hearts to forgive me and fight for this story, too.**

**I'm sorry. Thank you.**

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


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